The Advice That Almost Got Me Killed – And What It Taught Me About Leadership and Sales
- Jens P Edgren
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 1
Giving advice is easy. Taking advice and believing it to be the ultimate solution is even easier. But sometimes, a well-intended piece of advice can lead you straight into disaster. I know—because it happened to me.
A few years ago, I was in Mexico, training in paragliding. I wanted to improve, to take my flying skills to the next level, so I hired a coach. He had years of experience, and just before takeoff, he gave me a short and confident piece of advice:
“Stay on your course. Stick to the strategy.”
It sounded wise. Solid. Safe.
But once in the air, when the wind grew stronger and I started sinking fast, I realized my problem wasn’t staying on course—it was survival. There was no lift, and I was heading
straight for the ground. I had two choices: stick to a strategy that was no longer working or make a split-second decision.
I held my course. I followed the advice. I crashed.
By pure luck, I walked away without injuries, but the lesson I took with me was priceless: advice is useless if you don’t adapt it to the situation.
When Advice Leads You Astray in Business
I often think about that flight when coaching salespeople and leaders. Many come to me looking for a quick solution, a shortcut. They ask:
“What should I do in this sales situation?”
“How do I handle this difficult customer?”
“What’s the best way to lead my team?”
And sure, I could give them a polished answer, a smart phrase to use, or a checklist to follow. But that would be doing them a disservice. Because just like in paragliding, the same strategy doesn’t work in every situation.
That’s why I rarely give immediate, concrete advice. Instead, I say:
“Tell me more. What’s the situation? What options do you see? What would happen if you did X instead of Y?”
And in 90% of cases, something interesting happens: the person I’m coaching realizes they already know the answer. They don’t need my advice—they just need someone to help them trust their own ability.
The Courage to Trust Your Instincts
In business, just like in life, success rarely comes down to the exact words you use or the strategies you follow. It’s about your ability to read the situation and make decisions in the moment.
It’s about courage.
The courage to question advice when it doesn’t feel right.
The courage to change course when the situation demands it.
The courage to trust that you already have what it takes.
And that’s where I see my role—not as a guru with all the answers, but as a guide who helps people regain the confidence they lost somewhere along the way.
So next time someone gives you advice—even if it sounds smart—ask yourself: Does this actually fit my situation? Or is it time to take a different path?
It could be the difference between success and a crash landing.
Here are a few ways to learn the POWER of MEDDICC
—
Jens Edgren
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