I watched the entire Inauguration yesterday because I always watch them. I could write a lot about it, but instead I want to focus on one of the non-political, side stories that emerged.

How about a standing ovation for Carrie Underwood?

The way Carrie Underwood kept her cool and thrived under immense pressure was admirable.

I think all of us were sweating bullets for her yesterday when the background music wouldn’t start. Well, perhaps I should say “most of us” as I am sure some viewers who were unfair to Underwood for accepting the singing engagement were probably licking their chops.

The awkward and tense silence was broken when an Inauguration production coordinator locked eyes with Underwood and told her they couldn’t get the background track to play. The superstar then took matters into her own hands. She politely recognized what the staffer said, smiled, remarked “I can just sing it,” asked the audience to join her, and then she belted out an acappella rendition of “America the Beautiful” that was probably 10X better than anything she would have done with the background music.

Underwood was thrown a major curve ball on one of our country’s greatest stages and under immense pressure she hit a grand slam.

I remember giving a presentation during my sophomore year of high school in a humanities class that didn’t go the way I envisioned it. From that point forward, I told my Type-A self that if I ever stood in front of people again, I would be prepared.

For the past 23 years since that moment, I like to think I have lived up to my personal pledge. Whether I am speaking at a professional conference, work meeting, church retreat, or family special occasion, I prepare so I am confident and on-point when show time comes. This preparation even extends to scouting the venue beforehand and testing technology to make sure things are ready to go…luxuries I am sure Carrie Underwood didn’t have.

My talents don’t extend much to improvisation and reacting off-the-cuff. No matter how much I try to set myself up for success by putting in the time prior to doing something in front of people, if you threw a wrench at me like what was hurled at Underwood, I would fizzle.

Now of course you might say, Carrie Underwood is a professional and it is par for the course to adjust. Well, I don’t know about that. No matter how good of an entertainer you are, performing a song for every living U.S. President along with other major politicians, dignitaries, and legends in front of an enormous live TV audience is no easy feat. To just perform it in a decent and composed way is a big enough challenge—never mind pulling it off with something completely unexpected and debilitating taking place.

Bravo to Carrie Underwood. She rolled with some brutal punches and managed to sing the song with an abundance of class and grace. You better believe I am taking note of her amazing example of mental toughness and resolve…and I hope her haters are too. Carrie Underwood was meant to sing “America the Beautiful” on that stage yesterday. Don’t Blink.