Great leaders don’t walk away — even in crisis. Here’s what entrepreneurs, commanders, and parents all have in common when the storm hits.

Perhaps the most important trait of any leader is to be able to find a solution for no matter what problem, in no matter what situation.

All without external help.

All without passing the blame to other people.

You’re in charge. And nobody else.

This is true in normal times, and even more so when things go ugly. Leaders are shaped in stormy seas, not while sailing smoothly.

That’s why the captain of a ship at sea is still the best metaphor describing any leadership work. When in a storm on the high seas, the captain cannot walk away. The captain cannot request external help, he is alone on his ship with his crew and the resources of the ship.

However, he is free in the way he sets his sails. Short-term course corrections are an excellent way of solving a problem with the resources you have.

If you dislike the analogy with sailing, use aviation or mountaineering instead. The same concepts apply in thin air, whether at 35,000ft over the loneliness of the Pacific Ocean or above 4000m in snow and ice.

If you dislike analogies at all, let’s dive into some specific real-life examples.

Entrepreneurs Don’t Walk Away

I’ve been an entrepreneur for more than 8 years. The best way to describe entrepreneurship is the rollercoaster. Sometimes you feel invincible, and the next moment, you think you will tank your company.

Investors walking away or changing terms at the last possible moment.

New deals are delayed again and again, leaving your cash flow plan looking like a clueless bad joke.

Customers are dissatisfied and threaten to terminate your services.

I’m no different from any other entrepreneur. I suffered many setbacks, disappointments, and bad news. But I always found a solution before it was too late. And never did I think to walk away from those difficulties. I always stood firmly on that bridge, took decisions with uncertain outcomes, and changed the course at short-term notice if needed.

Military Commanders Don’t Walk Away

Switzerland still has an active reserve system in its Armed Forces, and I am serving as an active reserve general staff officer. Before that, I served as a commander of an airlift company, having seen life action in search-and-rescue operations, among others. Although I was thankfully never deployed in wartime, I have seen on several occasions that not everybody returns home from a military operation.

And that’s the core difference between entrepreneurs and military commanders.

The worst that can happen to you as an entrepreneur is that your company tanks and you fail to pay the salaries to your employees.

The worst that can happen to you as a military commander is that your troops pay for failure with their lives. Never forget that.

That’s why military commanders emphasize intelligence, planning, and contingency plans. Their sole purpose is to make sure you are prepared to bring back as many of your troops alive as possible, no matter what the enemy does.

And when you are standing at the frontline, and despite all the intelligence and planning, the enemy surprises you with something you haven’t foreseen: Do you think you can walk away as a commander? Do you think somebody will deliver that wonder weapon out of nowhere and save you? You will need to find your way out of the situation yourself.

Parents Don’t Walk Away

Many people might not consider parenting as a leadership role. Being the father of three kids, let me reassure you that it is.

Let’s not dive into the everyday challenges of having kids whilst also being an entrepreneur, even though this can be frustrating now and then (but it still isn’t a reason to walk away).

In my view, the true leadership role of parents is to give direction to the lives of their children. This starts with the values that are passed on and continues with how you support your kids during their education. It’s about showing them all the possibilities life can offer while making sure that they understand that you cannot have everything at once. Like for entrepreneurs and military commanders, resources are limited in a family, and I pay a lot of attention that my kids understand this core constraint.

Furthermore, I try to pass on my conviction that very often, it pays off to grit your teeth until the storm has passed and the skies have cleared.

In the hope that my kids will also never walk away from difficulties in their lives.