Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face

Leadership, Policies, and the Power of Agility

Growing up, I idolized Mike Tyson. His power, his confidence, the chaos he brought to the ring - I was hooked. But there was one thing he said that I didn’t fully understand back then:

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

It sounded cool. Tough. Brutal.

But now, years later - leading teams, navigating change, and carrying the weight of real-world decisions - I finally get it.

That quote isn’t just about boxing. It’s about leadership. Plans are easy when things are calm.

Let’s Talk Policy

Recently, I had a conversation with George Belsky about the role of policies in an organization. All too often, people treat the word “policy” like a four-letter word - something negative, offensive, or best avoided altogether.

But George offered a perspective that stuck with me (you can hear it below for yourself). But his take reminded me instantly of Tyson’s quote: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

He added, that policies, when done right, aren’t the problem - they’re the framework that allows us to absorb the punch and adapt with purpose.

What I took from George is that while policies may look great on paper, their real value is tested when the punch comes - the crisis, the disruption, the unexpected. That’s when real leaders must step up.

Not the ones clinging to perfect plans, but the ones who can take the hit, adapt in real time, and keep moving forward.

While I spent the lion’s share of my professional life in law enforcement, I can say with absolute certainty - it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the punch is coming.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually - some unexpected event will shake your organization, disrupt your plans, and test your leadership.

And when that moment arrives, rigid plans and unbending policies won’t save you.

What will? Your ability to adapt.

That’s why it’s essential for leaders to avoid viewing policies as rigid mandates and start seeing them more as a dynamic tool - strong enough to provide direction, yet flexible enough to evolve when the circumstances demand it. This is where leadership truly begins: not in rigid rules, but in the courage to strategically adapt for the good of the mission.

D-Day is Coming

Just as General Eisenhower prepared detailed battle plans for D-Day - only to adapt in real-time once the boots hit the ground - leaders must craft policies that can pivot with purpose.

Policies play a critical role in any organization. They provide structure, consistency, and clarity. They help align teams, reduce ambiguity, and streamline decision-making. When well-crafted, they allow people to move with confidence and coordination.

But here’s the truth too many aspiring leaders overlook: policies are not written in stone. They are meant to serve the mission - not become monuments to the past.

As leaders, it is essential to be responsible stewards of policy. That means more than simply enforcing them. It means communicating their purpose, modeling their importance through action, and - most importantly - knowing when they need to change.

Wedded to the Status Quo

We’ve all witnessed it - policies that linger far past their prime. What once made perfect sense now clogs progress, stifles innovation, and no longer serves the people it was meant to help. These outdated policies don’t just slow us down - they put our relevance at risk.

Take the early stages of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even as drone technology emerged with clear advantages - real-time surveillance, precision strikes, and lower-risk missions – overall, the military was slow to embrace it.

Why? Because deeply embedded policies, doctrines, and cultural norms still revolved around manned aircraft, traditional air superiority, and command structures designed for a different era.

Despite the obvious benefits, early drone programs were underfunded, underutilized, and often sidelined. Pilots in cockpits were still seen as the “real” warfighters - even when unmanned systems could do the job better, safer, and faster. It wasn’t a lack of innovation. It was a lack of policy evolution.

Eventually, innovation won. Systems like the Predator and Reaper became essential. But the delay - caused by rigid adherence to outdated thinking - came at a cost. Mission effectiveness, operational tempo, and strategic advantage all suffered during a pivotal time.

And as I reflect on that resistance - the defense of “how we’ve always done it” - I can’t help but see parallels in today’s law enforcement landscape. Some agencies remain married to traditional patrol models, reluctant to evolve despite advances in technology that funny enough include drones.

Great leaders understand this: protecting the status quo doesn’t protect the mission.

Preserving Purpose

A leader who recognizes when policy no longer serves the mission - and has the courage to change it - isn’t just preserving performance. They’re preserving purpose.

Because in fast-moving environments, relevance is a strategic asset - and leaders are its first line of defense.

George and I have come to the agreement that “policy” should be thought of as a leadership tool - a tool that’s only effective when regularly sharpened.

Of course, this requires awareness, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. In other words, leaders must be constantly scanning the organizational terrain, asking whether their practices and systems are helping their teams move faster, work smarter, and serve better.

And when they’re not, they need the courage to step in and make the necessary changes.

Leadership is not about clinging to the old playbook. It’s about knowing when to turn the page.

Of course, structure matters. Teams need clear expectations. They need to know the standards, the boundaries, the non-negotiables. But within that structure, there must be room to breathe - to question, innovate, and adapt. That’s what keeps teams engaged. That’s what keeps organizations alive. And that’s what keeps leaders in tune with reality, rather than stuck in theory.

Conclusion

So, what happens when your organization gets punched in the face?

That’s when the real leadership begins.

Your plans may falter. Your policies may crack under the pressure for the need to change. But if you’ve built a culture that values adaptability - if you’ve treated policy as a living document, not a rigid rulebook - you’ll be ready to respond. You’ll have a team that knows how to move with the mission, not against it. And you’ll emerge stronger than before.

Leadership isn’t about avoiding the punches. It’s about building something resilient enough to take the hit - and smart enough to evolve in its wake.

Policies should move with the mission. They should be reassessed, reimagined, and refined when necessary.

If you want to lead in a way that lasts, don’t just carry out policy - shape it. Improve it. And when required, rewrite it.

That’s how leaders turn plans into progress - even after the punch.