History rarely remembers the people who had an easy day. It remembers the ones who stood their ground, spoke their truth, and took action when it would have been easier to turn a shoulder or walk away.

One of those moments took place on a rocky hillside in Pennsylvania more than 160 years ago. It wasn't a story about military strategy as much as it was a story about leadership under pressure, when one person's decision made all the difference. As a facility administrator, we know you can relate to making decisions under pressure.  Please take note knowing that as a leader, every decision you make, truly makes a difference.

During the Battle of Gettysburg, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine found themselves defending the far left flank of the Union Army. They had been given strict instructions to do one thing and one thing only…

Hold this position at all costs.

Well, as life would have it, they spent hour after hour fighting even when ammunition ran dangerously low. The men were exhausted and retreat seemed like a reasonable option. 

Instead of giving up, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain made one of the boldest leadership decisions in American history. With no ammunition left, he ordered a bayonet charge. This meant he and his soldiers charged directly at the enemy using bayonets to fight them in close range in order to overwhelm them through speed, aggression, and psychological shock.  

The truth is that this decision could have been a total disaster, but against all odds, the charge worked. The Confederate line broke, Little Round Top was secured, and many historians believe that decision helped change the outcome of the entire Civil War.

Thankfully, your work doesn't involve battlefields.

But every administrator has their own version of battles to face as a leader. Every decision you make matters and great leaders, like you, make those difficult decisions day-to-day!

It's the day you're short-staffed and everyone seems to need you at once.  Or it's the family member who arrives angry and convinced you're doing everything wrong.

Your battle is the resident having a difficult day who simply needs someone to sit beside them.

Likewise, many administrators find their “battle” is the inspection that wasn't on your calendar or supporting the employee who's ready to quit.

No one writes history books about those moments. Yet it is those critical moments that define your leadership…and your facility.

The easiest response is often to become frustrated, overwhelmed, or simply retreat and go through the motions behind closed doors.

The remarkable administrator chooses something different.

• They remain calm when everyone else is anxious. 
• They lead when others hesitate.
• They encourage when others complain.
• They make decisions based on what is right, not what is easy.

Most residents and staff members will never know the countless problems you solved before breakfast. They won't see the regulations you navigated from behind the scenes, the staffing challenges you balanced, or the difficult conversations you handled in your office.           

In those difficult times please know, every person you cross paths with throughout the day will never truly understand all of the plates you juggle and the hats you wear, but what they will remember is how you made them feel.
 

                        
It’s those small, and often insignificant moments, that truly matter most because you make people feel…

• Safe.
• Seen.
• Respected.
• Cared for.

Leadership is rarely built in grand moments. It is built one decision at a time.

Joshua Chamberlain didn't become extraordinary because he wore a uniform. He became extraordinary because, when the moment demanded courage, he answered back rather than walking away.

Every day offers facility administrators that same opportunity.

You may never lead soldiers into battle, but each and every day you lead people who are trusting you with something even more personal—their home, their health, and often the final chapter of their lives.

There will be days when it would be easier to walk away, to become discouraged, or to simply do the minimum.

Choose to stand your ground.

Because someone in your care is counting on the leader you choose to be today.

UCampus Group Team