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Are You Blocking Progress?

Bull Moose blocking the trail in the Adirondacks.
Courtesy: AP News

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

In case you missed it, there’s a story about a bull moose that has spent the better part of the summer lingering around a popular Adirondack mountain hiking trail, prompting New York state wildlife officials to close the path as they monitor the potentially ailing animal.

The moose is staying on or around the trail near the summit, sometimes sitting and sometimes foraging in a small area, according to the Department of Environmental Services.

Attempts to coax the moose from the trail have failed. The agency has said an “underlying illness influencing behavior” was suspected. Wildlife staff were recently able to get close enough to observe the moose’s behavior, but did not find any obvious signs of disease.

Hopefully, the moose will make a recovery, but its location on the trail is a mystery for officials and a disappointment to those who would like to complete the hike up to the summit of the Goodman Mountain Trail.

The moose is representative of those in your organization who stand (or sit) in the way of progress. Others are attempting to move forward, but there is a hurdle that is impeding progress. So, what does that look like in your workplace? Let’s examine a few possibilities.

Progress is blocked by those with the settlers’ mentality

Within your organization, there may be those with a settlers’ mentality. Chances are, these are people who have been around in your organization for a good number of years. Perhaps they’ve enjoyed a fair amount of success and have risen through the ranks. But now they are settling. Maybe they simply want to run out the clock until they retire.

The settlers’ mentality is hard to overcome because they are set in their ways, and the change they once embraced is now the change they resist. 

While their contributions and service need to be honored, a settlers’ mentality will only block present and future progress. Others can’t proceed and climb to new heights so long as the settler is blocking the path.

Progress is blocked by silos and territorial disputes

For the leader, navigating silos and territorial disputes is a major headache. According to The Workplace Institute, 32% of conflicts occur between management levels, and conflicts among senior leadership and executives account for 20% of all reported incidents. Approximately 22% of conflicts occur between line managers and their direct reports. 88% of respondents in the survey report observing poor morale among employees affected by conflict.

While it should go without saying that everyone strives for the same goals and outcomes, conflict within organizations blocks the path to success. When leaders in management have to devote more time to conflict resolution, it hinders the team's ability to succeed. Click To TweetSilos and territorial disputes are the proverbial bull moose on the trail, and they’re harming everyone.

Progress is blocked by negative attitudes and apathy

Nothing will poison the culture of your organization quicker than negative attitudes coupled with apathy. When you combine a negative attitude with a lack of buy-in or pride in one’s work, it blocks progress until it’s dealt with.

For whatever reason, the bull moose has blocked the trail all summer. Perhaps it’s due to a sickness or disease, and that’s what the officials are committed to learning.

As a leader, you must root out negative attitudes within your ranks. It’s sucking the life out of your organization. And what you tolerate, you promote. Apathy, stemming from a lack of commitment or work ethic, must also be addressed. Progress is best made not when you are carrying team members with negative attitudes with you to the summit, but when you decide you can climb higher and faster without them.

Many other factors can contribute to progress being blocked in your organization. Facing up to them is just the first step to overcoming them. Commit yourself to being a leader who empowers those around you and does not stand in the way of progress.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What’s Under the Surface: Raising the Leaders Around You

Fossil discovery at Denver museum. Credit: AP News

Leaders develop daily, not in a day. – John C. Maxwell

In a rare turn of events, a dinosaur museum has made a fascinating discovery under its parking lot. The museum is popular with dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages, with an array of dinosaur displays and skeletons. But what was unearthed in the museum’s own parking lot has left many captivated by the discovery.

It originated from a hole drilled more than 750 feet deep to investigate the geothermal heating potential for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The result? A fossil bone discovery.

With a bore of only a couple of inches wide, museum officials struggled to describe just how unlikely it was to hit a dinosaur, even in a region with a fair number of such fossils. 

“Finding a dinosaur bone is like hitting a hole in one from the moon. It’s like winning the Willy Wonka factory. It’s incredible, it’s super rare,” said James Hagadorn, the museum’s curator of geology. Only two other similar finds have been noted in bore hole samples anywhere in the world, not to mention the grounds of a dinosaur museum, according to museum officials.

The discovery of this rare dinosaur bone serves as a poignant reminder of what lies beneath the surface around you daily. As a leader, you have untapped potential all around you, leaders waiting to be developed. You have diamonds in the rough waiting for their chance to shine. 

Identifying and raising up leaders is an important process. Let’s take a look at a few steps for your consideration.

See the potential, not just the present.

When mentoring and raising up leaders, it’s essential not to evaluate a person solely based on what you see today, but also on where you envision them in a year, or five years. While there may be some noticeable areas of improvement you can identify, see that as your starting point to build upon; don’t prejudge too quickly.

Potential can be measured in various ways, including current work ethic, dependability, curiosity, instincts, and the individual’s teachability. When you have these basics as starting points to work with, the possibilities for growth are there; they just need to be steered in the right direction. 

Give them the reins, not just the manual.

Empowerment is a crucial component of developing emerging leaders. What these leaders need is not a memorization of the manual or rulebook, but rather a playbook to guide their leadership. Click To TweetA leader will shine, produce, and grow in their potential not because they memorized the policy manual, but because they were empowered to create, take risks, fail, and re-emerge wiser and stronger on the other side. 

The goal here is not to create leaders in your image, but to help them discover their leadership identity and find their voice. This can only happen when they are empowered to take the reins.

Be an open book, not a closed door.

When it comes to leading down and developing the emerging leaders around you, you must be an open book to them, not a closed door. You want to facilitate their growth and development, not impede it. You want to be a positive influence through your engagement, vulnerability, and example.

You can’t expect to develop and lead those around you without demonstrating that you, too, are coachable, that you are committed to a growth plan and not just coasting, and that you are a leader worth emulating. 

I would like to encourage you to look beneath the surface of those around you. Where are the hidden gems in your organization that are just waiting for their opportunity to shine? It’s time to raise them up.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Lessons From the Beetle: Why Protecting Your Culture Matters

The Pannonhalma Archabbey
Photo Credit: Google Images

Every day, everyone in your organization creates your culture by what they value, believe, think, say, and do. – Jon Gordon

There’s a story coming out of Pannonhalma, Hungary, about tens of thousands of old books being pulled from the shelves of a medieval abbey in an effort to save them from a beetle infestation that could wipe out centuries of history.

The 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey is a Benedictine monastery, one of Hungary’s oldest and most renowned centers of learning.

The drugstore beetle, also known as the bread beetle, is often found among dried foodstuffs like grains, flour, and spices. But they are also attracted to the gelatin and starch-based adhesives found in books. They have been found in a section of the library housing around a quarter of the abbey’s 400,000 volumes.

The beetle invasion was first detected during a routine library cleaning. Employees noticed unusual layers of dust on the shelves and then saw that holes had been burrowed into some of the book spines. Upon opening the volumes, burrow holes could be seen in the paper where the beetles had chewed through.

The abbey, which hopes to reopen the library next year, believes that the effects of climate change played a role in the spurring of the beetle infestation, as average temperatures in Hungary have risen rapidly.

Thankfully, the books will be salvaged and eventually returned to the shelves once the process is complete.

What transpired in the library serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving one’s culture. The historic Pannonhalma Archabbey serves as a great example of why protecting your culture is so important. The small beetle has a few things to teach us.

No culture is immune to challenges.

One might think that a world-renowned historic library like Pannonhalma would be immune to a beetle infestation. But there they are working diligently to preserve their infested volumes of books.

Protecting your workplace culture should begin with the understanding that it is not immune to compromises or attacks that would leave it vulnerable. As a leader, you must be vigilant against harmful attitudes and mindsets that could compromise your values and mission. The earlier you identify these challenges, the better, before they spread throughout the organization.

Lesson from the beetles: Don’t take your workplace culture for granted. Work it, maintain it, and protect it at all costs.

Big problems start small.

The beetles were discovered during routine cleaning. Thankfully, they were, but not before 100,00 books were infected. Cultural awareness within your organization should be top of mind for all who have a stake in it. 

When leaders turn a blind eye to what is happening in their organization, it festers over time until eventually what could have been contained as a minor matter has now become a much larger issue that is impacting more people. Timid leaders create vacuums that will be filled with beetles eating away at the very thing you prize the most. Click To Tweet

Lesson from the beetles: Identify problems early and address them promptly. Never allow minor issues to escalate into major ones due to inaction.

A worker is helping preserve the books at the library.
Credit: Google Images

Be mindful of the ‘routine’

It was reported that the beetle infestation was discovered during a routine library cleaning. Within your organization, however, not everything should be treated as routine. Many of the issues you deal with as a leader are far from routine. However, having a routine mindset can lead to complacency if you are not careful.

When your culture is on autopilot, it’s challenging to discern what’s truly happening beneath the surface. Where is mediocrity taking place? What toxic chemistry is being overlooked and left unaddressed? What negative behaviors are being ignored? A settled routine can be detrimental to knowing where the beetles are.

Lesson from the beetle: Be intentional about your culture, growth, and values. They do not exist by accident and must be a priority.

How are you dealing with the beetles?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What Lid is Hindering You?

Credit: Google Images
Michigan wildlife officials are tending to the bear.

Success is not to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. – Booker T. Washington

In case you missed it, wildlife experts in Michigan successfully trapped a black bear and removed a large lid that had been stuck around its neck for two years.

State bear specialist, Cody Norton, said, “It’s pretty incredible that the bear survived and was able to feed itself. The neck was scarred and missing hair, but the bear was in much better condition than we expected it to be.”

Norton said it’s not precisely known how the lid got stuck on the bear’s neck, but added, “We were pleasantly surprised it was still able to make a living like a pretty typical bear.” 

Thankfully, the bear survived despite having a lid around its neck for two years. Now, it can return to a normal way of life that a typical bear would enjoy.

While the bear did not purposefully set out to be burdened by a large lid around its neck, it does metaphorically serve as a reminder of what happens when we live our lives burdened by things that hold us back.

From a leadership perspective, it reminds me of John Maxwell’s Law of the Lid, which states, “Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness.” Maxwell explains this way: “The higher the individual’s ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential. To give you an example, if your leadership rates an 8, then your effectiveness can never be greater than a 7. If your leadership is only a 4, then your effectiveness will be no greater than a 3. Your leadership ability- for better or for worse-always determines your  effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization.” 

Over time, with a commitment to growth and development, you can lift that lid as well as your potential. Your level of effectiveness is merely a starting point, not a final destination. 

While wildlife officials were about to spot the bear, rescue it, and remove the lid, you too must identify the lids in your life that hold you back. 

So let me ask you, what are the lids hindering your leadership? What are the disciplines you need to work on in order to raise your level of effectiveness?

Perhaps a few questions can help you find the answers you need to become a more effective leader. To start, why not explore the answers to the following questions?

Are you relying too heavily on your title?

You can have a title, but that doesn’t make you a leader. Specifically, in what ways do you value your title more than your growth as a leader? So long as you think it’s about your title, you will always have a lid on your leadership.

Are you holding yourself accountable?

Those who lift the lid on their effectiveness as leaders are those who hold themselves accountable. Accountable leaders are growing leaders. When you have someone whom you know and trust who can hold you accountable, they can help you see blind spots or other areas where you can improve. 

Are you serving with humility?

Arrogance coupled with a sense of entitlement is a hindrance that can hinder your leadership effectiveness. The underlying principle you have to remember in leadership is that it’s not about you. When you set out to serve others and add value to them, it will come back on you many times over.

Are you guarding your attitude?

Your attitude and disposition as a leader will make you or break you. No one wants to be around arrogant or haughty leaders. However, be aware that your attitude will serve as the thermostat for the rest of your team. Is your attitude worth emulating? 

Do you see the value in those you lead?

You can’t bring value to those around you if you see no value in them? And if that is your approach toward them, not only is it detrimental to them, but it clamps the lid on your effectiveness as a leader. 

Are you on a personal growth plan?

Your personal growth as a leader doesn’t happen by accident. It’s intentional. Unless a growth plan is a part of your daily routine as a leader, then whatever level of effectiveness you are at today is where you will be next year. And the year after. Commit yourself to a growth plan and raise the lid on your effectiveness.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

 

Turning Disappointments Into Celebrations

Credit: Google Images
Annual Pencil Sharpening Celebration

Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead. – Les Brown

In case you missed it, more than a thousand people in Minneapolis recently attended what has become an annual celebration – the sharpening of a giant number 2 pencil. Yes, a pencil.

The 20–foot–tall pencil was sculpted out of a giant oak tree that was damaged by a storm a few years ago. Neighbors and friends mourned the damage of the beloved tree. Yet, the owners of the tree had a plan. According to the story, the owners saw it not so much as a loss, but as a chance to give the tree new life.

The sharpening ceremony on the front lawn has evolved into a community-wide event that draws hundreds and is filled with music and pageantry. Some people come dressed as pencils and erasers.

In the wake of the storm, the owners knew they wanted to create a sculpture out of their tree. Given the shape and circumference of the log, they conceived the idea of an oversized pencil.

When asked why they chose a pencil, the owner replied, “Everybody uses a pencil. You see it in school, you see it in people’s work, or drawings, everything. So, it’s just accessible to everybody.” They also stated that they wanted to do something that would bring the community together.

The owners said, “We tell a story about the dull tip, and we’re gonna get sharp. There’s renewal. We can write a love letter, a thank you note, we can write a math problem, a to-do list. And that’s a chance for renewal, that promise, people really seem to buy into and understand”. 

Now, each year they sharpen the pencil. It’s a community celebration, and its inspiration came out of something that was initially very disappointing.

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. Things happen in life that we didn’t see coming, and we feel the sting of disappointment. And while we can’t choose what we go through in life, we can decide how to respond to it.

When John and Amy Higgins lost that tree, they were disappointed. But out of that disappointment came a joyous celebration that now draws people by the hundreds. It all comes down to your choice.

John and Amy chose not to make it about them or their grief, but instead, they saw an opportunity to do something more meaningful. 

Here are a few lessons we can learn from John and Amy about turning disappointments into celebrations.

Your attitude is a game-changer.

John and Amy could have simply mourned the loss of the tree and moved on with their lives. But instead, they chose to do something positive that would have far-reaching outcomes.

This is emblematic of individuals seeking the greater good and those with a positive attitude. And this is what will set you apart in life when bad things happen to good people. John and Amy chose a positive attitude, and now many come annually to celebrate something good that came out of a loss.

Additional Resource: Attitude Checkup: Three Questions You Need to Answer Now

Credit: Google Images Celebration at the pencil sharpening.

Your focus sets your course.

John and Amy didn’t make the loss of the tree about them. They decided on a plan to create a giant number 2 pencil, and it evolved into an annual community celebration.

When disappointments come your way, as they surely will, your focus will determine where and how it will end. As you guard your attitude and chart the course, good things can come from the things that brought you pain.

Additional Resource: It’s a Matter of Focus

You can choose pity or a party.

John and Amy could have chosen a pity party. But as it turns out, they chose a party. From the log of a fallen tree now stands a 20-foot number 2 pencil that serves as a reminder that good can come from adversity, and sometimes we need a good sharpening to be more productive.

I encourage you today to reflect on your attitude, think carefully about what you choose to focus on, and opt for the party over the pity. 

 

©2025  Doug Dickerson

Born To Be Wild: Three Life Lessons From an Otter

Louie the Otter: Credit UPI

 

The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. – John Bingham

In case you missed it, a Wisconsin zoo has announced that it has called off the search for an otter on the loose since March, explaining that the animal “has made the decision to be a wild otter.” 

It all started when Louie, the now-declared “wild otter,” and his pal Ophelia decided to escape during a snowstorm back in March.

Ophelia was recaptured and returned to the zoo, but Louie proved to be more elusive. Zoo officials said Louie was born in the wild and is believed to possess all the skills and instincts necessary to live on his own.

I have to admire Louie. Rather than live his life in captivity on someone else’s terms, he decided to live the best life in the wild.

When choosing your path in life, why is it that so many settle for less than what their heart desires? Why do 95% of people never manage to break free and achieve their dreams? And what can you do to be in the 5% that do?  What obstacles do you need to overcome to make it happen? Here are three life lessons from Louie that can help you today.

Face your fears

Many people in life never pursue their dreams because fear has paralyzed them. Fear is by far the primary reason dreams go unfulfilled and why people settle for far less in life than what they’re otherwise capable of achieving.

Henry Ford observed, “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” What fear(s) are holding you back? What would your life look like if you overcame it? How long will you let fear prevail? If you truly believe that you were born for something greater than what you are experiencing, then it’s time to face your fears. Click To Tweet

Lesson from Louie: Don’t let fear prevent you from escaping from the things that would entrap you so that you can live your best life.

Additional Resource: How Our Fears Hold Us Back

Have a plan

Moving from the 95% who never realize their dreams, you will need a plan. Achieving your dreams and living your best life doesn’t happen otherwise. You may be reading this, and in your mind, you are recounting too many past failures and too few victories. You may think that your time will never come.

John Maxwell says, “Good management of bad experiences lead to great personal growth.” We’ve all had bad experiences. Your bad experiences can propel you to the next level of success when you learn from them; otherwise, they will keep you stuck. Are you committed to good management of bad experiences? You will succeed when you commit to your personal growth and have a plan for your success.

Lesson from Louie: You can break free from the things that would hold you back, but only with a plan to get there.

Additional Resource: Is Your Leadership Adrift?

Don’t look back

Breaking out of the pack of the 95% who go through life with unfulfilled dreams, you have to make some bold decisions. You have to face your fears, you have to have a plan, and once you commit, you can’t look back. You have to be laser-focused going forward.

I am reminded of the story of a man who was crabbing along the jetties on a beach. He had a basket full of crabs. A passerby noticed there was no lid on the basket. He asked the man if he was concerned about the crabs crawling out. The man replied, “If there were just one crab in the basket, he could crawl out,” he responded, “but when the basket is full, and one tries to crawl out, the others will reach up and pull him back down, not letting him escape.” 

And this is what happens when you try to make the move from the 95% to the 5%. You will have others try to pull you down. You must keep climbing, keep clawing your way to the top, you must not look back. Your growth, success, dreams, and aspirations come into focus and fruition when your focus is on what lies ahead, not what lies behind you.

Lesson from Louie – Once you break free, don’t look back.

Additional Resource: Stay in Your Lane: Why Focused Leadership Matters

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Keep Your Eye on The Prize

Chad Le Clos glances over at Michael Phelps.
Credit: Google Images

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. – Stephen Covey

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, one of the most infamous races that took place was the 200-meter men’s butterfly.


Entered in the race was American Michael Phelps. During his illustrious Olympic career, he won 28 medals, 23 of them gold.

During the 200-meter race, Phelps was leading for most of the race. As they entered the final stretch of the race, Chad Le Clos was starting to close the gap on Phelps. However, in the closing moments of the race, Le Clos made a mistake that cost him the race. He turned to look at Phelps in the other lane, and when he did, Phelps surged ahead and won the race. Le Clos finished 7/10ths of a second behind and finished in fourth place.

While stories like these are what make history and Olympic lore, they serve as a reminder for us as leaders to understand the importance of keeping our focus.

What would keeping your eye on the goal look like for you as a leader? How would it improve your leadership skills? Let’s explore a few ways and things we can do to improve this leadership skill.

Stay in your lane

You can be the jack of all trades or the master of none, but one key thing that is important to you as a leader is to stay in your lane. 

What happens when we veer out of our lane? We take on roles and responsibilities that we previously delegated. We devalue team members by inserting ourselves into their work. We clog up the wheel of productivity by inserting ourselves in places where we don’t belong.

But worse, you ignore the more important thing that you should be doing – your work and taking care of your responsibilities. By staying in your lane, you and your team operate with efficiency. When you or team members get out of your respective lanes, you are presiding over chaos.

Keep your focus

In a split second, Chad Le Clos lost his chance at an Olympic medal simply because he lost his focus. And while it may seem innocent enough, that glance was his undoing.

In a research conducted by Insightful, they found:

  •  Lost Focus is a big problem: 92% of employers said lost focus is a significant problem in the workplace
  • Deep Focus Time is Elusive: 80% of employees said they can’t go an hour without being distracted at work
  • Frequent Distractions: 67% of employees report checking messages or emails more than 10 times a day, with 59% experiencing interruptions every thirty minutes or less.

As a leader, you can’t prevent everyone within your organization from being distracted, but you can make it a priority to ensure that you are not contributing to the problem. Regularly encourage and remind your team of the importance of their mission and why it matters not only to them but to everyone else as well. With this thought reinforced, it can lead to greater productivity.  

Be the exampleRegularly encourage and remind your team of the importance of their mission and why it matters not only to them but to everyone else as well. Click To Tweet

The importance of you being the example can’t be overstated. Good leaders model good behaviors in the workplace. If you expect your team to perform and function on high levels, they need to see it modeled by you.  

John Maxwell states, “Good leaders must communicate vision creatively and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.” This is your task as a leader: to model what it means to lead your team with clarity, focus, and intentionality.

Do you have your eye on the prize?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

The Secret Sauce to Success is Not BS

Credit: Google Images

You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. – Henry Ford

A turkey was chatting with a bull. “I would love to get to the top of that tree,” the turkey sighed, “ but I haven’t got the energy.” 

“Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re full of nutrients.” 

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found it gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. After eating more dung the next day, he reached the second branch.

Finally, after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. A farmer promptly spotted him and shot him out of the tree. 

The moral of the story: BS might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there. 

As a leader and small business owner, I know firsthand the importance and challenges of getting ahead. And as the above story humorously illustrates, it’s not BS. 

An article in Business Dasher revealed the following:

  • About 79% of small businesses survive their first year, which means that 21% of small businesses fail in their first year
  • More than 50% of businesses fail within five years
  • 70% of businesses fail in their tenth year

With statistics like these, we know that 1) being a small business owner or entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart,  2) you can’t bluff your way to success, and 3) people in your office know BS when they see it, hear it, and smell it.

As a leader in your organization, regardless of your title or place in its organizational structure, you must prioritize knowing what sets you apart from your competitors and what gives you credibility within it. 

People in your organization don’t need another fast-talking BSer who is more concerned about making a name for themselves. Click To Tweet They need a servant-leader who puts the team’s good ahead of their own agenda.

Knowing what the secret sauce is, what it is not, and what it should be is crucial. Here are just a few of the necessary ingredients.

The secret sauce is your grit.

It’s not your fancy words or talk. It’s all about embracing your gifts and calling, and not allowing yourself to be distracted. Doing the hard and unglamorous things daily produces results compounded over time.

Leadership advice from John Maxwell:  “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret sauce is found in your daily routine.”

The secret sauce is your attitude.

Your attitude will make you or break you. You will face adversity from within and without. Each experience will be a test of your resolve, and those who endure are those who have mastered the discipline of a good and strong attitude.

Leadership advice from Zig Ziglar: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” 

The secret sauce is your integrity.

Getting ahead is not about your ability to out-B.S. the other guy. That person will eventually be exposed for who he is. The foundation for how high and far you will go is built on your integrity. How high and how far you go is dependent upon it.

Leadership advice from W. Clement Stone: “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” 

The secret sauce is your passion.

When it comes to succeeding as a business leader, it all comes down to what drives and motivates you. You will never develop grit and do the hard things required for success if you have no passion for it. A passionless leader will produce passionless followers, and the business will eventually die. But a leader with passion and drive will persevere through the storms and challenges that come their way.

Craig Groeschel offers this leadership advice: “Vision and values should inspire and move you. If they don’t, they are too dull and safe.”

What is your secret sauce?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

The Friendship Factor

Credit: AP News

No road is too long with good company – Turkish Proverb.

Meet Reginald and Pearl—an unlikely duo for sure. Both are certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records.

Reginald is a seven-year-old Great Dane from Idaho who stands 3 feet 3 inches tall. Pearl, a four-year-old chihuahua from Florida, stands 3.59 inches tall. 

Not long ago, Guinness arranged a play date for the two, and despite their size difference, both had a tail-wagging good time. They spent two days together on a farm in Idaho; by all accounts, they bonded and played well together. According to one of the owners, Reginald and Pearl found common ground despite their height differences. 

Finding common ground and developing friendships sounds simple enough. But is it?

A Pew Research Survey found that 61% of U.S. adults believe having close friends is essential for living a fulfilled life. Yet in another survey, 15% of men report having no close friendships, five times more than the survey results from 1990.

Leadership can be isolating and lonely. The weight of a leader’s responsibilities can be overwhelming. Rather than being vulnerable and relatable, many leaders self-isolate from those around them. Eventually, the burden of going it alone becomes overwhelming, and many a good leader burns out. Could this be you?

In my years in leadership, I’ve known what it feels like to carry that weight alone. It’s not healthy, and there is a better path to take. So what is a leader to do? Here is a bit of advice I’d like to share.

Embrace the risk of friendship.

Many leaders who self-isolate or otherwise keep people at a distance do so for fear of being too close to those around them. They fear that colleagues who befriend them will take advantage of them or that they are afraid to let their guard down—all valid concerns. 

As a leader, you must understand that people will treat you differently. And it can be just as awkward for them as it is for you. And inasmuch as you wrestle with your feelings and how to handle them, the other person is doing the same.

Leadership Tip: Take the risk. Embrace friendships. Be proactive in putting the other person at ease and let them know you genuinely care for the people you lead. Somewhere down the line, will you get burned? Maybe. But you can be a leader as well as a friend. 

Additional Resource: The Power of Your Tribe: Who Belongs in it and Why

Embrace the vulnerability of friendship.

One of the qualities of any friendship is vulnerability. Vulnerability is our way of being comfortable in our skin and embracing our shared humanity. Being vulnerable builds connections and trust as we open up with others about how we feel, think, and process what we are going through.

Many leaders struggle with vulnerability. They would rather keep a poker face and keep their cards close to their chests regarding their thoughts and feelings. As a result, having close friends is a constant struggle.

Leadership Tip: Embrace vulnerability. While you may feel you are letting your guard down too much, it will drive people away; you may just be surprised by how much this one act will endear you to those you lead. Being vulnerable doesn’t make you less of a leader; it makes you more relatable as a leader. Click To Tweet

Additional Resource: Leadership in a Word: Vulnerable

Embrace the reward of friendship. 

My leadership mentor, John Maxwell, says, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” This is the payoff for having good friends.

I firmly believe that we are not meant to do life alone. While many leaders approach friendships cautiously and even at a distance, the value and importance of friendship cannot be denied. I am thankful that I walk through life with friends who’ve been there through life’s joys, sorrows, and challenges. I am grateful to have a team around me whose checks I sign, but whom I consider valued friends. 

Leadership Tip: You will never know the rewards of friendship until you embrace the risk and are willing to be vulnerable. When you do, you will soon realize that you are a better leader because of it.

Additional Resource: Ellen Was Right

©2025 Doug Dickerson

A Kangaroo Wasn’t On The Bingo Card

Photo Credit: CNN
Credit: CNN

The years have been just full of surprises for me, and a lot of fun. – Dick Van Dyke

Imagine driving along the interstate on your way to work, an important meeting, a ball game, or just trying to get home. Instead, you find yourself in a traffic jam. You are in this traffic jam, not because of a wreck, construction, or bad weather. The reason? A kangaroo! 

This was the predicament that motorists in Tuskegee, Alabama, found themselves in recently when traffic snarled on Interstate 85. The sight of the free-spirited kangaroo hopping along the side of the interstate was certainly a sight to behold. State Troopers had to stop traffic in both directions to help the owner capture the wayward animal. 

Being delayed in traffic on the interstate because of a kangaroo is not something any motorist in Alabama would have suspected they’d encounter when they got up that day. No doubt it would not have appeared on anyone’s bingo card.

In life, things will show up on your bingo card that you didn’t see coming or have any formal training on how to deal with. 

When I began my leadership journey in ministry over 40 years ago, I was wide-eyed and woefully naive. Rather quickly, “kangaroos” started showing up on my bingo card that I was not prepared for, things that I didn’t think I would see in that line of work, and I didn’t have a leadership foundation to fall back on. My heart was in the right place, and my head was full of theology. But in those early days, it simply wasn’t enough. The kangaroos were winning the day.

Chances are, you’re feeling overwhelmed, too. You are dealing with things you didn’t see coming, and you feel out of your league. What is a leader to do? Allow me to take you back to foundational principles. As you work through these, you will gain more and more confidence as a leader. These are a great starting place.

Develop your growth plan.

If you want to develop as a leader, you need a growth plan. As John Maxwell says, “Hope is not a strategy.” Additionally, he says, “You cannot change your life until you change something you do everyday.” This, my friend, is where you begin.

Without a growth plan, you are like a runner wearing ankle weights. You become your own worst enemy, making things much harder on yourself. Personal growth should revolve around daily improvement, with the expectation that you will be better tomorrow than you are today. Click To Tweet

Additional Resource: Five Signs That Your Leadership Has a Settlers Mentality

Find a mentor or coach.

No one is meant to do life alone. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another, says the writer of Proverbs. My frustrations in those early days could have been nullified if I had had a mentor to take me under their wing and help me navigate that bingo card. 

With a mentor or coach, you have someone who is invested in your growth, who will hold you accountable, be your confidant, and your biggest cheerleader. Your mentor or coach will be a tremendous asset to you as a leader, and one day you can be the one passing along your wisdom to another.

Additional Resource: Leadership in a Word: Mentors

Humility and humor. 

In my years in leadership, there’s a straightforward thing I’ve come to learn, and it’s this – the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. That’s humbling. That is what propels me to keep learning, reading, listening to podcasts, attending conferences, and networking, because the learning never ends. 

Additionally, I’ve also come to appreciate having a good sense of humor. A sense of humor is what keeps you grounded and humble. Having the ability to laugh at yourself (might as well, others are), and realize that a perfect day can get interrupted by a kangaroo.

Additional Resource: Reclaiming Humility in Leadership

©2025 Doug Dickerson

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