Picture this.
You’re running a travel club at a bank.
You have twenty-five of your best customers — the “do not mess this up” group — standing at the airport.
Everyone’s dressed like it’s their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
The plane is delayed.
Then the flight is canceled.
Then the hotel calls to say they overbooked and gave away half your rooms.
And THEN your best traveler, the one who brings three friends on every trip, wants to know if this is “the kind of operation you’re running now.”
Cue the internal meltdown.
This is it. The nightmare scenario.
The worst day ever.
The day where it feels like everything you’ve worked for just went to hell in a carry-on bag.
What separates a good leader from a great one isn’t how they manage the easy days. It’s how they respond when the wheels come off.
And trust me, the wheels will come off. If you lead long enough, you will have a moment when you want to crawl under the desk or fake your own death.
(You can laugh — it’s only funny because it’s true.)
Here’s what the best travel club leaders — and frankly, the best leaders anywhere — do when the world catches fire around them:
1. They Own the Room
Panic is contagious. So is leadership.
When chaos hits, everyone is watching you. They are looking for clues.
If you stay calm, they will too.
Your voice, your posture, your energy — it all sends a message louder than words:
“We’ve got this. Stay with me.”
2. They Tell the Damn Truth
This is not the time for spin. People can smell it.
Be honest. Tell them what you know, what you don’t, and what you’re doing to fix it.
Own the moment without excuses.
People respect leaders who are real, not perfect.
3. They Take Action Fast
Speed matters.
Even small wins matter.
Get bottled water. Rebook what you can. Get people sitting comfortably.
Every action you take shows leadership and rebuilds trust.
Waiting “until you have it all figured out” is the fastest way to lose the room.
Leadership isn’t about preventing bad days. It’s about transforming them.
The worst day can be the best proof of why people trust you, why they follow you, why they believe in you.
You get to show them what real leadership looks like when everything goes wrong.
And the secret is… that’s the day you earn loyalty that no smooth trip ever could.
It’s hell in the moment.
But it’s gold in the long run.
My name is Michael King.
I’m an executive, leadership, and business coach, and it’s truly a privilege to write this blog for the amazing leaders at Heritage Clubs.
I thoroughly enjoy the culture we are building together — a culture where real leadership is not just talked about, but lived out.
Every conversation, every gathering, every setback, and every win is making a real impact on leaders and the people they serve.
It’s an honor to be part of it.
Keep leading strong.
Level Up Leader Tip: Your Calendar is a Mirror
If you want to know what matters to you—look at your calendar.
Don’t tell me you value growth if you’re not blocking time to build.
Don’t say you care about strategy when every hour is spent in someone else’s emergency.
Here’s the move this week.
Do a five-minute audit.
Pull up your calendar and ask:
This Week on The Level Up Leader Podcast
Coming up this week, I sit down with Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chairman of the Board for the C-Suite Network.
This guy knows how to scale, how to build high-trust leadership, and how to challenge you without sugarcoating a thing.
We talk about real influence, executive presence, and what it really takes to stay relevant at the highest level.
Do not miss this one.
Listen and subscribe now: www.levelupleaderpodcast.com
Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your content
Keep Showing Up
This newsletter exists to challenge the way you think, the way you lead, and the way you build.
No fluff. No filler. Just frameworks, questions, and bold moves.
If this story hit home, I’d love to hear it.
If you’ve had to make a tough stop lately, reply and share.
If you’re clinging to something you know you need to release—what’s holding you back?
Keep leveling up.
You were built for better.
Until next time,
Michael
About Michael King
Michael King is an award-winning executive coach and the founder of Teams.Coach, Gawker Traffic, and CatalystCo. With two master’s degrees in Leadership and Executive Coaching from Bellevue University, he helps high-performing executives simplify complexity, optimize their leadership, and build teams that actually work.
A certified executive coach, Michael has spent years guiding Fortune 500 leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams through the real work of leadership—creating clarity, building systems, and driving results without the burnout.
When he’s not coaching, Michael is an accomplished singer/songwriter and music producer with over 100 published songs to his credit. He’s also a Ducati aficionado, a die-hard Apple fan, and probably has a Starbucks in his hand right now.
