There’s a lot to be worried about in business: the political climate, robots and automation, the future of entrepreneurism and innovation, the promise or peril of the gig economy. But imagine if we weren’t in an economy that’s been growing for years.

Like it or not, these are the good times, and that should make us concerned about how prepared we are, as leaders and companies, for the inevitable downturn. Maybe that time won’t arrive tomorrow or this year or even this decade, but it will. There’s always a downturn.

Why am I starting this column with such dire thoughts? Because leadership in these times is easy. You hire, you expand, you can talk about motivating for excellence, building industries, and helping people find a career and maybe a fortune. Technology is a force for good (and productivity).

This is also the time where you see many articles, books, and TED Talks about great leaders telling you why they are so great. Notably, they’ll throw in some tale of hardship, but it’s mostly about success going forward, sprinkled with positivity and win-wins, maybe even win-win-wins.

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