Wouldn’t leadership be so much easier if people just did what we expected, right away? I remember when I first stepped into a leadership role, this frustrated me a lot. Like many leaders, patience wasn’t my strong suit. If you’re leading others, chances are you struggle with it too. In this post I want to share a simple framework I hope will help you cultivate patience and improve your leadership—the ODLAD framework.

What is ODLAD? It’s a five-step process designed to bring clarity, calm, and collaboration to challenging leadership moments. The acronym stands for Observe, Discuss, Listen, Assess, and Decide. Let me walk you through each step.

Observe

When you feel your blood pressure rising because someone isn’t meeting your expectations, pause. Step back and observe the facts. What exactly is happening? What triggered your frustration? For example, has a deadline been missed, or a task not completed as you expected? Observing calmly rather than reacting emotionally is the key first step.

Discuss

Next, start a conversation. Share your observations in a non-confrontational way: “I noticed the deadline wasn’t met.” Invite the other person to explain what happened. Discussing openly helps uncover obstacles or misunderstandings. This dialogue is crucial for mutual understanding.

Listen

This is often the hardest part for leaders. We tend to think we need to have all the answers, but that’s not true. The real power comes in slowing down and truly listening—not just waiting for your turn to speak or defending your position. Listen to their words and pay attention to what’s left unsaid: the feelings, hesitation, or body language. This deeper listening reveals what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Assess

After talking and listening, take stock of what you’ve heard. Assess the situation collaboratively. What barriers are causing the missed deadline? Are these valid reasons, or is there a deeper issue at play? Use this time to determine whether this is a one-off situation or part of a bigger pattern that needs addressing.

Decide

Finally, agree on a way forward. This should be a joint decision whenever possible. When team members have a voice in the solution, they’re more likely to commit to making it happen. Be careful not to manipulate or guide them to what you want under the guise of collaboration. Genuine partnership leads to better outcomes.

People are at the heart of leadership. They won’t always do exactly what we want right away, and that’s actually a good thing. Great leaders listen and learn from their teams to lead better. Patience is a challenging but essential skill in this process—and ODLAD gives you a structured way to build that patience.

I’m on this journey with you. When you feel impatience creeping in, remember: Observe the facts, Discuss the situation, truly Listen, carefully Assess, and together Decide how to move forward. Which of these areas do you need to work on this week?  Need help developing your leaders or someone to come alongside you to help you increase your clarity and focus as a leader?  Contact me to discover any way I may be able to help you grow as a leader.  Lead Well!

© 2026 Wheeler Coaching, All Rights Reserved