The People, Process, & Progress Podcast - Lead Early, Not Respond Later - Reset Friday | S7 Ep11

Episode Date: October 10, 2025

In this Focus Friday episode, Lead Early, Not Respond Later, I share a leadership lesson from the 2015 UCI Road World Cycling Championships, where I waited too long to give clear direction to the Resource Unit team checking in hundreds of first responders. By the time I acted, frustration had already built up, but once I owned it, spoke with the site lead, and led a layout change that separated check-in from briefings, we streamlined the process and made the operation safer. The experience taught me that leadership happens before the problem, not after. Lead early, not later.

When you wait too long to lead, ever been part of an operation or project where you realize too late that you should have stepped in earlier? I've been there back in 2015 during one of the biggest public safety events the Richmond area has ever hosted, the UCI Road World Cycling Championships. I learned that lesson the hard way. Welcome to People Process Progress. I'm Kevin Pinell, author of The Stability Equation and the People Process and Progress of Project management. On this podcast and the People Process Progress YouTube channel, I share lessons from

life, leadership, training, and exercise ideas to help you own your growth, align your work, and anchor your teams through practical steps. Now let's get into it. We had an incredible team that week, nine days really. Local, state, federal responders came together to keep the city safe, the region. Within that, I was leading what's called the resource unit. That's the team responsible for checking in, tracking, and briefing hundreds of first responders. the people were capable, dedicated, and working hard, but I failed them early by not providing clear direction. Our process was simple on paper, check responders in,

issue supplies, then briefed them before they hit their posts, but I didn't define the how clearly enough. I didn't walk the process early, didn't set the standard for flow, didn't coach the team on how to handle the waves of responders, By the time I checked in with them, frustration had already built up. Lines were long, communication was scattered, and safety briefings were being missed or rushed. The process I owned had become part of the problem. When I realized the scope of the issue, I had a choice, ignore it or own it.

I talked directly to the site leader, acknowledged I should have provided better guidance sooner, and listened to his frustration. Then I made the call. we were going to redesign the entire check-in layout. We pulled everyone together, walked through the workflow, and separated the check-in area from the briefing area. We modeled the new setup like a Chick-fil-A drive-through. One-line-in, efficient flow, clear direction at every step.

Thruput improved, people were less frustrated, and most importantly, responders got the full, operational, and safety brief before heading into the field. The experience has stayed with me. It taught me that silence in leadership is not neutrality, it's neglect. When I see confusion or friction on a team now, I speak up clearly. Guidance isn't micromanagement, it's clarity. It's leadership before frustration sets in.

If you're leading a team right now, whether it's a project kickoff, a shift change, or a response operation, ask yourself, have I clearly defined what success looks like? Have I walked the process before the team runs it? Have I given people enough guidance to succeed or am I waiting to fix the problems later? Speak up early, not after the rumbling start. In 2015, I learned that waiting too long to lead can create more work and more frustration for everyone involved. Leadership is proactive, not reactive. When you win the process, you earn the progress. Thank you for spending this time with me on people process progress. If today's episode helped you, share it with someone who could use it too. For more, check out my two books, the stability equation, seven pillars for a more balanced life, and the people process and progress of project management. Both are available now on Amazon and Kindle, paperback, and hardcover formats. You can also find more conversations, lessons, and short videos on the People Process Progress YouTube channel, and follow me on X and Instagram at Pinell KG. And of course, keep tuning in here to the People Process Progress.

progress podcast where together we keep building balanced lives, stronger teams, and better outcomes. Until next time, own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit, and Godspeed y'all.