Sometimes the best opportunities don’t look like opportunities at all. They show up as a problem. A project falls through. A client walks away. A key team member leaves unexpectedly. At first, it feels like a setback. You scramble, regroup, and wonder how things got off track. What you may not realize in that moment is that you’re standing at the start of a new path. Not the one you planned for, but possibly the one that will move you further, faster, and in a direction you hadn’t considered before.
This is the part of business that rarely makes it into the strategic plan. The detours. The disruptions. The pivots that weren’t part of the pitch deck. When you’re in the middle of it, it’s easy to get stuck on what you lost. You might be focused on the gap left behind or the work it will take to rebuild. That’s natural. Still, there’s a different question worth asking: What did this open up?
Reframing a disruption as an opportunity is not about pretending things didn’t go wrong. It’s about choosing to shift your focus. A door closing can force you to explore one you wouldn’t have opened on your own. The pressure of a sudden constraint can bring surprising clarity. When the familiar falls away, you’re free to rethink what actually works and what you were only doing out of habit. Being open to what comes next is easier said than done, especially when you’re still trying to recover from what just changed. Yet some of the most successful business moves happen not in moments of confidence, but in moments of uncertainty. The key is not having it all figured out. The key is staying curious. Even if the situation feels messy or unplanned, ask yourself: Is this showing me something I hadn’t seen before? Could this make space for a better fit, a smarter offer, a new idea?
When a pivot presents itself unexpectedly, three questions can help you move from reaction to clarity. First, is this pulling me toward something I’ve been quietly wanting to do? Sometimes the shake-up brings buried ambitions to the surface. Second, is the resistance I’m feeling about the situation, or about stepping into something unfamiliar? There’s a difference between something being wrong and something just feeling new. Third, what does this make possible that wasn’t possible before? A shift in a client roster might free up capacity. A team change might invite a stronger hire. A delay in one area might open time for something more strategic.
These opportunities don’t always come dressed as wins. Sometimes they arrive dressed as endings, missteps, or missed chances. The decision to view them as valuable is yours. You do not have to be grateful for everything that falls apart. You just have to be willing to ask what else it might make room for.
The truth is, most big moves in business come with a mix of uncertainty and discomfort. You rarely feel fully ready before you try something new. If you wait until you’re confident, the moment may pass. If you’re open to trying anyway, you just might land somewhere better than you had planned.
Here’s the point 🔵: Unexpected setbacks can reveal better paths. When plans fall apart, stay open. What feels like a detour may be your next big opportunity.