This is one of the biggest realisations from my work with biotech leaders…

Your job becomes 100x easier, simpler, more effective, more enjoyable—and less stressful and draining—when you start making decisions like this:

Is this going to help the patients?

Does this serve the long-term vision of my company and what the hell we set out to achieve here?

No. Then, I don’t do it. Period.

But how about the markets? The share price? The analysts? The press release? The current raise? This potential partner? My relationship with this person?

That’s all NOISE.

But what if I die in the short term?

You will die anyway!

And I get it, it’s not easy, I empathise with you, you get pulled in all directions, your emotions mess up with you…

It’s not always black and white, but there are times when you should make it black and white!

You will all of a sudden breathe again, you will feel lighter, more confident, and more in control —and you will win!

Paradoxically, those times are often some of the most critical times when you think you shouldn’t go black and white.

I’ve seen leaders who find themselves stuck in this full-colour conundrum, and the moment they turn on that….. what do I call it… maybe… “the subtle art of not giving a f*ck black-and-white” switch… everything falls into place. Oxygen! Aaaahhhhh…

And they may be still in the same deep sh*t, but boy, are they different. You can sense their confidence; they source incredible power from their decision to do the tough, but right thing for the company.

And when they think that everything is lost, they win.

And they turn crises into the biggest opportunities to grow and create culture. And morale goes through the roof, and they earn the trust of the whole company, their board, investors, and everyone wants to follow them—including myself who wants to crash into my Zoom screen and kiss them.

I’m the luckiest person in the world to have worked with those leaders and witnessed the miracles they created.

It’s been an extremely difficult environment for biotech companies lately… and the best time to show your leadership, build a great company, and win.