Broken Clocks and Airplane Tears: Leading Through Life’s Offbeat Moments

Airplanes make me think about time. Departures and arrivals. Layovers that stretch too long. Delays that test your patience. When I hear the announcement to “fasten your seatbelt,” I am reminded how little control I really have over the clock.

That is also what I hear in SZA’s Broken Clocks. Time is not neat. It slips. It skips. It reminds us that life rarely runs on schedule, no matter how hard we try to keep pace.

Leadership works the same way. We want to believe that if we plan well enough, show up polished enough, or lead confidently enough, everything will stay on track. But the truth is different. Life interrupts. Grief interrupts. Stress interrupts. Pretending those interruptions do not exist does not make you a stronger leader. It makes you less relatable.

That is where transparency matters. It does not erase the messiness, but it transforms it into connection.

Here are three lessons from Broken Clocks that can reshape the way we think about leadership.

1. Choose Transparency Over Perfection

“Go to work, get off work, can’t stop hustlin’…”

This lyric is a confession. SZA does not present herself as calm, balanced, and in control. She admits the grind is messy, relentless, and not always healthy. That honesty resonates because it is real.

Leaders often feel pressure to curate a polished image. But your team does not need perfection. They need truth. Admitting when you are stretched, tired, or learning builds far more trust than pretending you have it all together.

What to do:

• When you do not know the answer, say so and invite your team to problem-solve with you.
• Share moments when you are learning or recalibrating.
• Acknowledge your limits rather than pushing through them in silence.

The Lesson: Perfection creates distance. Transparency creates connection.

🎤 Mic drop moment: Admit when your strategy was wrong or your energy is low. People do not expect you to be flawless. They expect you to be honest.

2. Make Space for Humanity in Others

“I’m runnin’ fast with my heart beatin’…”

This line captures the tension of living and leading while carrying heavy emotions. You are moving forward, but your heart reminds you that you are still human. Leaders forget this at their own peril.

Your team does not just see your outputs. They feel your presence. When you acknowledge your own humanity, you also create space for others to show up fully. That builds cultures where people feel safe, seen, and supported.

What to do:

• Start meetings with a quick “How’s everyone doing today?” and model answering honestly yourself.
• Normalize flexibility when people are managing family, health, or personal challenges.
• Pay attention to energy shifts in the room and follow up privately when someone seems off.

The Lesson: Your title does not erase your humanity. It amplifies it, and it calls you to make space for others to bring theirs.

🎤 Mic drop moment: Leaders who show their humanness, and create room for others to do the same, model what it means to work with heart.

3. Time Reminds Us to Honor Our Rhythm

“Love galore, no matter how I get it, I still got it…”

This lyric points to the truth that even when life feels disjointed, there is still something valuable we carry forward. Broken clocks may not keep perfect time, but they still remind us that time is precious and that our presence matters.

For me, every flight is proof. I still cry. The grief never left, and I am not sure it ever will. But those moments remind me that leadership is not about staying perfectly in rhythm. It is about having the courage to honor your own rhythm, even when it calls for slowing down, resting, or pausing to feel.

What to do:

• Model healthy boundaries by actually taking time off and communicating that you are unplugging.
• Build recovery space into your team’s calendar after major projects or stressful seasons.
• Encourage reflection breaks, not just performance pushes, as part of your team’s rhythm.

The Lesson: Progress is not the absence of pain. It is the wisdom to know when to move and when to rest.

🎤 Mic drop moment: Strength in leadership is not about flawless timing. It is about being vulnerable enough to feel, wise enough to rest, and human enough to lead from that place.

What Kind of Rhythm Are You Leading With?

SZA reminds us that life rarely runs on perfect time. And leadership is no different. You will fumble, you will ache, and you may cry at 30,000 feet. None of that disqualifies you from leading. In fact, it makes you more relatable and more trustworthy.

The truth is, people will not remember you for perfection. They will remember that you were strong enough to be vulnerable, wise enough to rest, and human enough to feel.

🎶 TL;DR: Leadership Remix

• Perfection creates distance. Transparency creates connection.
• Humanity is not optional. It belongs in leadership and in the cultures we build.
• Broken clocks remind us that time is precious. Rest and rhythm are part of real leadership.

Leaders do not need to have it all together. They need to honor their own rhythm and invite others to do the same.