Ah, exceptions. Like tiny ripples on a pond that radiate outward they’ll affect you and your organization in different ways. One important part of running a team is understanding when to maintain the status quo (precedent) and when to deviate (make an exception).

Sometimes a key team member wants to understandably relocate after almost 2 years of COVID. And then other times someone might expense a pair of Nike Air Force One shoes as part of a wellness budget. Or a helicopter ride to the airport because “it was faster”. Wut? I know. But it’s happened.

The question is, when are you going to make exceptions for your team?

There was a time when I was really concerned about precedent. But with more experience I sort of came to understand that exceptions are going to need to be made. Because there is no such thing as a pond like environment when it comes to startups. It’s a roaring ocean. The ripples, rain, wind and just about every other force of nature are going to be whipping no matter what.

So can we better understand the ramifications of how the impact of these decisions will radiate outward? If we can craft a better decision making process around how certain exceptions push us forward as a group that can make a real difference to understanding their impact.

The quality of your leadership might come down to when, and to what extent, you allow exceptions to made. Sometimes precedent needs to be maintained. Oftentimes exceptions need to be made. You have to learn to sail the raging sea!