Making The Tough Calls

I recently had to make a really tough call. One I had put off for longer than I should have. But making the call had to be done.

One of my favorite online mentors mentioned a man’s name I knew. A man I had once been friends with. I consider this mentor to be a great man of integrity.

Distraught woman laying next to couch holding a rotary phone

Photo by Anthony Tran

When I heard him mention my former friend’s name, I knew I had to reach out to my mentor. To make a tough call.

The man my mentor mentioned could be considered a success in the world’s eyes. He’s built up an online business that brings home a nice chunk of change. That’s awesome. I’m actually happy for my former friend that he’s reached monetary or worldly success.

But, at home, with others… this man has failed.

He cheated and left his wife. He has accused me of hacking his website. And he’s failing to take care of his family.

To hear my mentor associate himself with this man, I knew I had to reach out. I had to let inform him about the true success of his success story.

In the online space, this could be digital suicide. Reaching out to someone about another online influencer could be considered a major faux pas.

I cared what he may have thought about me for bringing this to his attention… for a really long time. That’s why I only recently reached out to my mentor. I was scared of being blacklisted because I chose to speak up about the behavior of another person.

But I knew it had to be done.

Why? Because:

I was concerned for my mentor:

It may sound silly but I was. Jim Rohn said you’re the sum of the people you associate with. If my mentor is unwittingly associating with someone of ill repute, he could be lumped in with this person.

Knowing my mentor, I felt he should be informed. Thankfully, my mentor took this notice graciously and with humility.

I saw the poor behavior continue:

I’d watched my former friend for some time. It seemed like he was getting his life back on track. He made steps to improve.

Then he fell back into his old habits. His family became neglected. He failed to follow through on promises. He went back to his old ways.

If he wouldn’t listen to me, maybe he would listen to a man we both know. I don’t know if he will listen or not, but I had to take the chance.

I felt personally convicted:

There are times in your life when you know something is right or wrong. This was one of those times.

Ashamedly, I put off this conviction for far too long. I was scared. I wanted to be liked. And I didn’t want to rock the boat.

Yet when conviction rises, you have to respond. You have to say “Yes, I know I was wrong. I need to do what is right from this moment forward.”

So, I did. And I feel a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.

Making The Tough Calls

You’ve read my story on making a tough call. Making the call to my mentor was challenging. It was scary. And it pushed me outside of what I thought I could do.

You will be put in positions where you will have to make tough calls.

They may be letting an employee know about inappropriate behavior and the consequences of their actions. You may have to have a sit-down conversation with your teenage son about rumors of him using drugs.

Tough calls are tough. They will make you nervous. They will try your convictions. And they will create tension in your life.

Yet, as my wife regularly reminds me, you have to make the tough calls if you truly love and care about others.

Making tough calls means you care. You want to see the best for them. You’re concerned about the people around you.

Don’t be scared to make tough calls. They will release you from conviction. They will grow you. And, they may even restore broken relationships.

Question: How do you go about making tough calls? Share your strategy in the comment section below.

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