Wartime Leadership

In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz draws a line between a “peacetime CEO” and a “wartime CEO.” Peacetime rewards process. Wartime rewards fast decisions, direct communication, and someone willing to own the outcome — title or no title.

I lived a small version of that recently, in a moment where the decision couldn’t wait. I stepped up to lead a team transition involving people at completely different stages: some with months of context, others just days in, one who hadn’t even properly started yet.

There was no playbook for that exact mix. Just a decision to step up, tailor the communication to each person’s reality, and keep everyone aligned with the team handling reallocation.

Situational leadership isn’t a training-deck concept. It’s showing up when no one else can — with or without the title.

It’s also why I’m doubling down on this path: growing as a TechLead today, with an eye on Tech Manager roles next.