Leadership Lessons from Travel Purgatory – Grit Daily News

Knowing how to pivot when things aren’t within your control is a fundamental lesson in business.

A canceled flight when you’re already on a tight schedule, a missed connection, lost luggage…if you’ve been there, you know. In 2021, I had the rare opportunity to experience all of the above. Add to that the complexity of navigating worldwide quarantine laws, and you’ve got the purest definition of what I call “Travel Purgatory.”

But this purgatory taught me a few things that have bolstered my leadership skills. I learned valuable lessons about patience, risk-taking, and making the best of challenging situations. If you’re feeling stuck in limbo, these tips can help you make the best of it and earn a little leadership wisdom along the way.

Lesson #1: Learn to Accept That Things May Not Work Out in Your Favor

Life already felt scrambled, and the aftermath of 2020 was just starting to come to fruition. As I started to come up for air, adjusting to these new ways of operating in the world, reality snapped me right back into another discombobulated space. In March of 2021, I got a call from my sister letting me know that my mum was at the end of her life.

In addition to the emotional weight of those words, this meant sorting through the new complexities of international travel. I needed to book a last-minute flight to Australia and potentially enter into a 14-day Hotel Quarantine — unless the government granted an exemption, which was highly unlikely. The estimate for that two-week stay? A whopping $3,000 AUD.

Looking at flights was mind-boggling. There were economy flights to Australia ranging from $8,000 to $15,000, and some of them had 30 to 40-hour routes. “Wow,” I thought to myself, “travel is different now.” Australia’s national airline, Qantas, had grounded all international flights. And with America’s growing cases, it began to seem less and less likely that I was going to make it back in time to see my mother…for the last time.

Lesson #2: When the Odds Are Stacked Against You, Take a Risk

The most likely scenario felt heartbreaking. But I was just one person trying to operate in a moment of worldwide chaos. I would do everything possible to get home in time, but it was important that I not dwell on the impossibilities. I had to turn to the metaphor of thinking about the mountains ahead of me as staircases. What was the first step I needed to take? Find the flight that would get me home the quickest. Time was ticking, literally.

Leaving my comfy frequent traveler status at Qantas behind, I went to the website for American Airlines. There was still a flight to Sydney available with a connection through LAX for $5,000, round trip. I booked it without a second thought. But when I got to JFK to check in, the customer service rep told me that Australia’s system was down and they couldn’t check me in.

Australia was allowing citizens and permanent residents to return during COVID restrictions, but first, American Airlines would have to verify my status in the Australian system. With the system down, it just wasn’t possible. This was the only flight going to Sydney, but technology wasn’t giving me a break. My only option was to go home and try again tomorrow. So I called a cab and kept my bags packed for round 2. 

Lesson #3: Have the Courage to Take Chances

My request for an exemption was denied, as I learned on my way to the airport for round 2. Thankfully, the system was working without glitches and I boarded my flight, with a heavy heart and an even heavier sadness. 

The lesson here was to have the courage to try, even if it might not work out the way I hoped. I was getting on a long-haul flight and then spending 14 days in hotel quarantine. I’d make it to the continent, but it was still possible that I might not be able to see my mum for the last time. But I had to try, even if the odds felt stacked against me. 

Lesson #4: You Can’t Speed Up Time

Spending two weeks in hotel quarantine, time couldn’t have moved slower. I was so close but still so far away. With every passing day, the distance shortened. But nothing I could do would speed things up. 

Finally, my 14 days were up. I rushed out the door with a sense of glee, until I realized the finality of what I was rushing towards. In the end, I got to spend 11 days with my mum until she passed — days that went by so quickly. Then, it was time for family, funeral planning, and a deluge of details. 

This bizarre time warp taught me a lesson about time: I can’t do anything to speed it up or slow it down. Every moment of every day was another step on that staircase. It was moving me towards where I needed to be, but one step at a time. 

Lesson #5: When Life Gives You Lemons, Whip Up a Lemon Tart

After my mum passed, I returned to the US, carrying my grief alone in the absence of my family. A few weeks later, travel was beginning to open up. I went to Germany, which was a welcome distraction. On my return to the US, however, the scattered logistics of pandemic-era travel struck again. 

The US had issued a ban on non-US citizens reentering. Despite having a US work visa, I was told it was time to quarantine…again. I had read up on all of the regulations, or so I thought, but I was told in Amsterdam that I had to go to a non-Schengen area for 14 days before being allowed to return to the US. “Ok,” I said to myself, “I’ll just have to make the best of it.”

So, embracing the beauty of having a remote team, I hopped on a plane to Romania to visit a member of my team. While I wasn’t able to venture outside of Bucharest, this detour was just what my soul needed. Connecting with someone who’d I had been working with for 2 years was a joy! Plus, it allowed me a change of scenery and the chance to dust off my solo travel shoes.

Leadership presents us with all sorts of challenges. But the truth is that most of these challenges can be traced back to real-life experiences. Calling upon those lessons learned reinforces our resilience. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that life and business aren’t so different, after all.