The Worst Time to Build a Life Raft
Updated: Aug 6
Once I watched a movie where a sailor got thrown overboard during a violent storm. She was an experienced sailor—but the storm came out of nowhere.
The part I remember most wasn’t the waves.
It was watching her frantically trying to build a life raft while she was already in the water.
She grabbed floating planks as they drifted by. She pulled them together with one arm while trying to hammer nails with the other. She dropped nails. She smashed her thumb. Every wave ripped part of the raft apart before she could finish it.
You wanted to yell at the screen.
“You’re supposed to build the raft before the storm!”
…
No, I’m kidding.
I’m pretty sure I just made that entire movie up.
But now you’ll probably remember that scene the next time you find yourself fighting through a leadership crisis, desperately trying to build the very tools you wish you’d already had.
Because that’s exactly what many of us do.
Most people don’t think much about their own resilience. Why would they? As long as life is reasonably calm, we assume it’s there.
Until one day it isn’t.
An English teacher once taught me that one literary device can improve comprehension simply by making your brain stop for a second. So here goes:
You don’t realize that you don’t have resilience…
…until you suddenly realize you don’t have resilience.
Hard times don’t usually create something new.
They reveal what has quietly been built all along.
A talk I was listening to recently reminded me of something I wish more leaders understood.
Healthy leaders don’t stumble into resilience.
They don’t simply claim they’re resilient and then magically become so.
They intentionally build tools that soften the impact of life’s storms and shelter and guide them when rough times inevitably come.
That idea has enormous implications for leadership.
Tools Reduce the Cost of Hard Days
When we’re exhausted, grieving, overwhelmed, or discouraged, our ability to think clearly declines.
That’s normal.
The goal isn’t to become someone who never struggles.
The goal is to become someone who already knows where to reach when the struggle comes.
Do you?
Tools reduce the number of decisions we have to make when our judgment is tired, our emotions are loud, or our circumstances become overwhelming.
The autopilot that great tools create helps preserve our energy for the decisions that actually require wisdom.
Whether it’s a morning walk, a trusted friend, a prayer journal, an exercise routine, or simply a healthy bedtime, the best tools don’t just make us feel better.
They help us think better.
That’s what a good life raft does.
It doesn’t make the storm disappear.
It simply gives you something dependable to stand on while the storm is raging.
Build Tools Before You Need Them
I’ve become increasingly convinced that every leader needs a personal toolbox.
Some people need a morning walk.
Some need a prayer journal.
Some schedule recurring conversations with trusted friends.
One of my favorite tools is something I call The Council.
It’s a structured way of thinking through difficult decisions before fear, frustration, urgency, or ego take over. Each “voice” represents a perspective I know I need to hear before I act.
When my emotions become loud, I don’t ask them to make my decisions.
I let the process I’d already built carry me.
Just like the imaginary sailor, I’d rather build the raft before I ever need it.
Movement Creates Momentum
The same principle shows up outside leadership, too.
A while back, Mike decided he was tired of living with constant back pain and carrying more weight than he wanted. Running sounded miserable. Some mornings he joked that he needed an ibuprofen just to avoid a “back attack.”
But he put on his shoes anyway.
The first runs weren’t impressive.
They weren’t fast.
They weren’t fun.
But he kept showing up.
Eventually the running became easier.
Then eating healthier became easier.
The weight started coming off.
His back improved.
One healthy habit quietly made the next healthy habit easier.
That’s how good systems work.
They create momentum.
Motivation usually shows up after movement—not before it.
Healthy leaders understand this.
They don’t build lives that depend on motivation.
They build lives supported by tools, habits, and systems that continue working when motivation disappears.
What Are You Making Normal?
Eventually every leader faces days when clear thinking becomes difficult.
Stress happens.
Loss happens.
Unexpected change happens.
The question isn’t whether those days will come.
The better question is this:
What are you making normal today that will carry you when tomorrow becomes difficult?
The healthiest leaders don’t simply hope they’ll respond well under pressure.
They quietly build the tools they’ll need long before the pressure arrives.
Because waiting until you’re drowning is a terrible time to start building a life raft.
What’s one tool, habit, or system you’re grateful you built before life got hard?
I’d love to hear what has carried you.
If this idea resonates with you or your team, I’d love to help. Through coaching, leadership development, workshops, or speaking, Transformationship Leadership Group exists to help leaders build the habits, tools, and systems they’ll be grateful they built long before the next storm arrives.
🎧 Listen to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/02vL9LV7HBdpXwBNR7SVSh?si=3o87X20BQXK5an225FzzUQ
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