Making Ship Happen

Yep.  You read that right.  

Let’s be honest—leadership isn’t always Instagram-worthy. Most of the real work happens

behind the scenes, far away from the spotlight, applause, or perfectly curated posts. Leadership is built in the quiet choices, the uncomfortable moments, and the tasks we’d really rather avoid. Around Leadership Harbor, we call this making ship happen—because real leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions; they adjust the sails and get to work.

Anthony Trucks calls this Dark Work. It’s the unglamorous, deeply personal effort of becoming who you need to be before you can lead others well. Dark Work is early mornings with hard questions, late nights with honest reflection, and the courage to face patterns you’d prefer to ignore. It’s not flashy. It’s not fun. It does work.

“Smooth seas don’t make good sailors.” 

I don’t know who said it; I do believe they are correct.  If smooth seas did make good sailors, leadership would be easy, and everyone would be great at it. Storms are part of the journey. The pushback, failures, disappointments, and detours all shape us. Every experience in your past—good, bad, and “why did that even happen?”—has brought you to this moment. You don’t need to erase it, minimize it, or pretend it didn’t matter. You need to own it.

Adversity doesn’t automatically make us stronger. 

That’s a myth. Adversity simply reveals us. It gives us a choice: grow or stay stuck, learn or blame, lead or linger in victimhood. Adversity will either make us better or make us victims. And yes—it’s a choice. Which one will you choose?

Making ship happen means doing the work others don’t want to do. It’s having the conversation instead of avoiding it. It’s building discipline when motivation disappears. It’s taking responsibility instead of pointing fingers. It’s showing up on the days when no one is watching and doing the work anyway. That’s leadership.

Lead Yourself First

Before you lead a team, a business, or an organization, you must lead yourself first. Self-leadership is the anchor that keeps everything else steady. When you’ve done the Dark Work, you lead with more empathy, more courage, and a whole lot less ego. You stop reacting and start responding. You stop drifting and start navigating.

At Leadership Harbor, we believe leadership is a journey—not a title. We help leaders embrace their story, face the storms, and develop the habits and mindset needed to make real progress. Not perfection. Progress.

So if you’re tired of waiting for smooth seas and ready to become a better sailor, it might be time to make some ship happen.

I'd love to walk along side you on the journey. Please reach out.

I look forward to chatting with you soon!

Kris

More about Kris:https://www.leadershipharbor.com/kris

Complimentary Discovery Session or To Book Your Next Session: https://calendly.com/kris-dbc