Four years ago this week, I was hosting a group of travelers on a three-week around-the-world-by-private-jet trip – an experience I have come to think of as one of the most challenging leadership moments of my life. Each year I think back to that trip, and each year I learn something new from it.

March 12, 2020 found our group of 84 adventurers in Kathmandu with plans to continue on to India that day. The World Health Organization had just declared COVID-19 a global pandemic; the U.S. had closed its border to Europe; and India announced it would suspend international travel into the country. Amidst the concern and confusion sparked by these rapidly evolving events, my team and I made a previously unimaginable decision. Following a series of conversations with the expedition staff and central office back home, we decided to cut this once-in-a-lifetime journey short and put in motion a plan to return to Washington, D.C. as swiftly as possible. Most guests were disappointed yet relieved and agreed it was the right decision. A few vocal guests and even some staff weren’t happy with the decision.

What ensued was a challenging 72 hours of working with the expedition and home office teams on a complex and fast-moving plan to get our group back to Washington, D.C. We continued on to India just hours before its border closed while developing our plan to reroute the trip home, addressing the guests’ needs and concerns, and providing them with meaningful experiences during their remaining time on the trip. It was one of the hardest leadership experiences of my life, as well as a gift that keeps on giving in the form of leadership and life lessons. Here are a few of them:

Difficult Leadership decisions are rarely universally popular

While we can’t please everyone all the time, thoughtful, collaborative, and timely decisions that prioritize people’s wellbeing tend to reveal their wisdom and value over time. Nearly all of the individuals who disagreed with our decision to cut the trip short later reached out to me to thank me for the decision we made in unprecedented circumstances.

Critical leadership moments sometimes choose us rather than our choosing them

I joined the expedition as an executive representative, which was more of a supplemental role without many operational responsibilities. As the crisis unfolded, one of our expedition leaders became ill and two colleagues who saw what I couldn’t yet see graciously let me know that I was needed to lead the effort to bring our expedition home safely. Lying in bed exhausted and overwhelmed the night after that crucial conversation, I felt the fears and doubts overcome me as I worried whether I was up to the job. At 6 a.m. the next morning, I gathered the expedition team for what would become daily morning huddles through the remainder of the trip. One day at a time, we brainstormed, problem-solved, and divvied up tasks. In those meetings I felt humbled to be at the helm of such a dedicated, brave, and high-performing team.

With leadership comes tremendous responsibility

During this scary time, my husband was home alone with our two young kids. He and other family members were asking me to find a way back home as soon as possible, but it was not about me. I had to focus making the best decisions for our group of guests and staff.

Transparent and consistent communication is critical in times of uncertainty

In rapidly evolving and unfolding situations, fears, concerns, and insecurities rear their heads. False information and rumors can quickly deteriorate confidence and trust. An initial announcement of our plans to reroute the expedition home was a bit hasty. We convened the group when a small group of guests and staff were still out exploring Kathmandu and before we had a sufficient outline of a return plan in place. It created some early confusion and frustration, but we recovered quickly and established a steady cadence of guest briefings to keep everyone informed.

When teams are aligned on a common goal, magic happens

From the extraordinary expedition team in the field with me to the supportive senior leaders and heroic operational team back home, every individual stepped up to meet the needs of the moment and worked collaboratively and tirelessly to execute a complex and dynamic plan. We quickly became one of the strongest and most in sync teams I have ever worked with, and I am deeply grateful for that. Despite numerous challenges and setbacks, we got everyone home safely and the guests still had the trip of a lifetime.