What’ Next?

What's Next?

I've never thought of myself as a big movie or TV guy. But a few shows have carved out a permanent place in my life. M*A*S*H was one. I remember watching it as a kid with my dad, and then again as an adult on a family vacation. We sat together at the cottage and laughed until the tears came — more from each other than the show itself.

The West Wing was another. Brilliant writing. Strong storylines. I won't get into the politics — that's not where I'm taking you. What I loved was how the team worked. They solved problems together. They had character flaws. They had each other's backs. I root for teams like that.

One episode has stuck with me for years. Josh Lyman, the Deputy Chief of Staff, is wounded in an assassination attempt on the President. The whole episode centers on his surgery, and the fallout — the fear, the emotion, the relationships tested in real time. At the end of it, Josh wakes up from surgery. His first words: "What's next?"

That line lands two ways. First, it's a jab at the President, who used that same line all series long. Second — and this is the one that matters — Josh showed us that even with a long, hard recovery ahead, he was ready to move.

What's Next?

None of us survived an assassination attempt this month. But ask yourself if something stopped you cold — you won't hesitate to say yes. We all have those moments. They're not fun. Some are devastating. You'd have every right to list your reasons, your grievances, everything that isn't fair. But here's the real question: what about your leadership? It's not just you in the crosshairs anymore. Your team is watching. Your organization is watching. They want to know — what's next?

Assess you.

Ask yourself: how do I feel? It's okay to have emotions. It's okay to have something to say. What matters is what you do with it. Find a safe person, or a safe group, and get it all out. Once you do, you'll find the new foundation you're standing on. What's next? You take a new step — knowing the past is behind you, the future is ahead of you, and all you actually have is the present. Live there. You may need to grieve what you lost. Grief isn't reserved for funerals. It applies to vision, to goals, to dreams. Counseling is a real resource on this road. Wherever you are in the process, surround yourself with the people and the help you need to get back to a healthy you.

Control what you can control.

At this stage of life, I've come to believe there's only one thing I can truly control: me. My heart. My thoughts. My words. My actions. This situation is a perfect snapshot of that truth. You couldn't control the outcome — it punched you in the nose. What's next? Standing there, still smarting, you have a hundred ways to respond. The choice is yours — heart, thoughts, words, actions. No one is forcing your hand. What happened, happened. Mistake, accident, or intentional — it doesn't matter now. What you do with it is on you. Your team is watching too. They'll hear your words. They'll see your actions. But more than anything, they'll feel your heart.

Yes… And

You have to move forward. You have to say, "Yes, I can do this." When the wound is obvious and everyone can see it, you still have to move toward where you're going. What's next? If you've ever watched improv comedy, you know the rule that makes it work: no matter what happens, no matter what's said, the next person up answers with "Yes… and." It honors what just happened while carrying the scene forward. That's what you need right now. Yes, I acknowledge what happened. Yes, I know who I am and what I control. And — I will move in the positive direction. As a leader, you give your team the hope of the next step.

Forward is progress, no matter the size of the step.

If you're moving in the right direction, that's growth. That's maturity. The pain will subside. The wound will heal. A scar will form. You'll remember the challenge, but it won't have power over you anymore. What's next? Don't let anyone else dictate your pace. Some people will want you to slow down and stay stuck. Others will push you to move too fast and skip the healing you actually need. Stay aligned with your goal. Keep your feet moving. Push when you want to quit. Slow down when you want to skip the hard part. And give yourself grace.

So here's my challenge to you this week. Stop asking why it happened. Start asking what's next. You're going to get hurt again — that's guaranteed. But so is this: you get to decide who you become on the other side of it. Take the step. Then take the next one. That's how growth actually happens — not in one leap, but in the deciding to keep moving.