The startup I founded just lost its primary funding source. We have four months of runway. My team of 12 took massive pay cuts to join me. Some have turned down other offers. They believe in the mission. I've been telling them we'll find new funding, but honestly, I'm not sure we will. The market has changed. VCs are skeptical. Every door I knock on closes. Part of me wants to admit the truth—that we might not make it—so they can start looking for other jobs. Part of me believes that if I do that, the team will fall apart and we'll definitely fail. How do I lead when I don't know if we'll survive? Do I protect my team from the truth or trust them with it? — Captain of a Sinking Ship in San Diego
Crisis leadership and honesty. Shackleton's transparent endurance meets Columbus' unwavering vision.
The startup I founded just lost its primary funding source. We have four months of runway. My team of 12 took massive pay cuts to join me. Some have turned down other offers. They believe in the mission. I've been telling them we'll find new funding, but honestly, I'm not sure we will. The market has changed. VCs are skeptical. Every door I knock on closes. Part of me wants to admit the truth—that we might not make it—so they can start looking for other jobs. Part of me believes that if I do that, the team will fall apart and we'll definitely fail. How do I lead when I don't know if we'll survive? Do I protect my team from the truth or trust them with it? — Captain of a Sinking Ship in San Diego
Sir Ernest Shackleton
"Difficulties are just things to overcome—but your team deserves to know the stakes"
43 votes
Columbus
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore"
37 votes
80 votes total
Full Positions
From Shackleton's Last Voyage: The Story of the Quest
"Difficulties are just things to overcome—but your team deserves to know the stakes"
I kept every man alive by being honest about our situation while never surrendering hope. Optimism is true moral courage, but false optimism destroys trust. Tell them the truth. The ones who stay will fight harder. The ones who leave were already half-gone.
From The Life of Columbus: From His Own Letters and Journals and Other Documents of His Time
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore"
When I sailed west, my crew wanted to turn back. I held firm because I knew what they could not see. Sometimes leaders must carry the burden of uncertainty alone. Your doubt, shared too freely, becomes their despair.