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Watch Your Tone

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Leadership means setting a moral tone. – J. B. Pritzker

I am not sure about you, but I can vividly recall the days of my childhood when my mother would correct me concerning the tone of my language. I had just enough smarts not to use bad language in her presence, but I often fell short on my tone. 

I read a story about a young single mom with two children, ages five and three, who were constantly battling their bad language. She tried everything to get them to stop swearing. After many attempts with various methods, nothing worked. 

The frustrated mother ultimately decided to treat her boys the way her mom treated her. The next morning, the five-year-old got up, and he went into the kitchen. The mom said, “Honey, what would you like for breakfast this morning?”

He looked up and said, “Just give me some of those @#*&! Old wheaties.”

With that, she swatted the kid, and across the table he flew. His three-year-old brother, who was watching, was amazed. He had never seen anything like it. Then his mother looked at him and said, “And what do you want for breakfast?”

He looked at her with wide eyes and said, “Well, you can bet your #%@* I don’t want any of those %$*#@ Wheaties!”

Here’s a simple leadership principle worth noting: People often respond to our attitudes and actions more than to our words.

As a leader, your life revolves around people. How you interact with, relate to, inspire, and challenge people will always be a leadership skill you must develop. It’s not an option.

Alexander MacLearn said, “If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” And this is our leadership commission. 

Over the years, I have learned that my tone, more than my words, has changed outcomes in many situations for the better. But it hasn’t always been easy. I tend to be impatient, which leads to frustration and, in turn, a tone that can be detrimental. 

Here’s what I have come to embrace in my leadership. It’s what I call the H.A.L.T. method. Give it a try and see how it works for you. 

Hush Up

The best deterrent to using words that I know will later come back to bite me is to listen to my mother’s voice in my head when she would tell me to hush up. It’s an exercise in self-preservation.

In leadership, it’s about timing – it’s knowing when to talk and when to hush up and listen. You will never regret the things you didn’t say in the heat of the moment, and it will buy you more time to thoughtfully think through the situation you are dealing with.

Ask questions

It’s safe to say that the times when my tone has been most unpleasant have been when I’ve let my emotions get the best of me and sounded off without all the facts. Chances are, that’s been your experience as well. 

But when I take the time to first understand and ask questions, my tone can be what it should be and what the other party deserves from me. There’s no substitute for being informed as a leader. It happens when you ask questions.

Listen

It should go without saying, but it works hand in hand with asking questions. You can master your tone with good information. This happens when you slow down and listen. By listening, you empower the other person and stay in control of your tone. 

Simply put, listen more, talk less. 

Take control

Here’s what I know: I am responsible for my tone. And as a leader, so are you. And yes, there will be times when your tone needs to be firm, when you offer corrections, and when you set high expectations, but it must always be done with the right attitude.

Coupled with the right words, your tone sets the standard for your leadership. Be wise with your words, be smart with your tone. Both matter, and both can raise or lower your level of leadership. Choose wisely.

©2026 Doug Dickerson

 

Who’s In Your Foxhole?

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In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends. – John Churtin Collins

Hang around in leadership long enough, and you will know the meaning of adversity. It comes with the territory. And every good leader knows the value of having a close-knit team around you to advance the mission and a healthy culture.

Not long ago, I was reading about the various types of foxholes as described by the infantry training manual. A soldier may find himself under duress, scrambling for cover with no time to prepare. Or if he has time, he can dig in a position only for himself. However, according to the manual, the best-case scenario is an arrangement in which three people can fight together in a single, larger foxhole.

The Army Field Manual explains the efficiency, stating, “One soldier can provide security; one can do priority work; and one can rest, eat, or perform maintenance. This allows the priority of work to be completed more quickly than in a one-soldier or two-soldier position.” 

There is something to be said about building camaraderie among your team that no amount of adversity could stand against. Before you accuse me of being totally naive, I do realize that a statement like this can seem far-fetched in many workplace cultures. I get it.

Before you can determine who belongs in the foxhole with you, I think it’s only fitting to identify those who don’t belong. Here are three, but there are more:

  • The Toxic- These are the manipulators, chronically negative, and pessimistic
  • Control Freaks – In the foxhole, it’s all about the mission of the team, not Lone Rangers
  • Slackers – Those who don’t carry their share of the responsibilities

Building the kind of culture no one would want to leave begins by being the kind of leader everyone wants to follow and be around. Click To TweetThat being said, as a leader, it is incumbent upon you to be developing the leaders around you; the leaders you want to share the foxhole with.

In the foxhole, here are a few of the qualities to look for.

Mission-Focused: From a military perspective, you are trusting the person in the foxhole with you with your life. In your workplace, while it’s not literally life and death, much is riding on your ability to trust one another and know that the person next to you is mission-focused. You want to know that their commitment and passion match yours.

Team Oriented: A cardinal rule of leadership is that it’s not about you. In the foxhole, you have to set aside your ego and not be concerned about who gets the credit for the wins along the way. So long as you are in the foxhole worrying about getting the credit for the wins, your contributions in the foxhole jeopardize the others in it. But when you set aside your ego and focus on the team and the mission, you can achieve great things.

Positive Attitude: Zig Ziglar once said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” In the foxhole, you want people with a contagious positive attitude. You want people beside you who won’t back down in the face of an obstacle or roadblock. You want people who are resilient with a can-do attitude.

Adaptability: Sometimes in the trenches of your workplace foxhole, things may not always follow your preconceived script. Things happen. It won’t always go the way you had hoped or planned. When you are in the foxhole and under pressure, you want a steady hand from a colleague who won’t be thrown off his game under pressure. You want calm, reliability, and grace under fire. You want someone who can adapt to changing conditions in real time.

So, while this is not an exhaustive list, I trust it will challenge you to think about who you want by your side in your foxhole. More importantly, use this list to self-reflect to see how well you embrace these qualities so that the person beside you can be assured they are in good hands.

 

©2026 Doug Dickerson

When Time Becomes The Teacher

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Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. – Napoleon Hill

After much anticipation and hype, here we are. Welcome to 2026! The rush of the holidays is in the rearview mirror, and credit card statements will soon arrive like the ghost of Christmas past. 

New Year’s resolutions will soon be put to the test, and you will quickly question the legitimacy of that new gym membership. The new year begins with much promise and good intentions, but will it last? 

Business consultant and author Michael LeBoef says, “Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing.” And this is precisely the trap that you want to avoid. Your time matters, and so does how you use it. Be it resolutions, professional development goals, family priorities, etc., don’t commit chunks of your time to doing nothing of consequence.

I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned over the years about this topic, in hopes they will add value to your leadership journey. 

I had to learn the myth that everything matters equally.

I learned this principle from Gary Keller’s book, The One Thing. In it, he writes: “When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. We become active and busy, but this doesn’t actually move us any closer to success. Activity is often unrelated to productivity, and busyness rarely takes care of business.” And this is such a necessary thing to learn in leadership.

Keller argues that a to-do list can easily lead you astray. More often than not, it’s simply the things you think you need to do, which often is nothing more than the first thing you thought of. Keller adds, “If your to-do list contains everything, then it’s probably taking you everywhere but where you really need to go.” In short, the most menial thing on your to-do list is not equal to the most important thing. Stop buying into the myth that all things are equal. They’re not. As Keller recommends, replace a “to-do” list with a “success list.” It will change your mindset and your focus. 

I had to learn that I choose my life by how I spend my time

I learned this fundamental principle from John Maxwell. In his book, Today Matters, he writes, “If you’re over the age of twenty-one, your life is what you’re making it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities.”

The playing field, over time, is level. We all get the same amount regardless of who we are. The priorities you set determine how you use your time. Changing our approach to our days makes all the difference between time well spent and time wasted. Maxwell framed it in three useful questions.

  1. What is required of me? When ordering priorities, always start with the requirement question and give it careful thought before moving on to the next question.
  2. What gives me the greatest return? As you grow as a leader, you will discover that some things will give you a greater return than others. What are they? 
  3. What gives me the greatest reward? If you only do what you must and what is effective, you will be highly productive, but you may not be content. It’s important to consider what gives you personal satisfaction. But don’t get these questions out of order. 

As a leader, you have to understand that you can’t, and shouldn’t, do everything. And this is why establishing your priorities is so important. You have to be your own timekeeper. Your time is too valuable to relinquish to someone else. 

©2026 Doug Dickerson

Time For Change

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

How well do you embrace change? Research conducted by Pritchett finds that some 20% of people are change-friendly. They are willing to embrace change and are typically those who will drive it in their organizations. Another 50% are fence-sitters. They assume a neutral position, figuring out which way to lean. The remaining 30% are the resisters. They are antagonistic toward change and deliberately try to make it fail.

Even good change has been hard to come by over time. In many ways, we are settlers. We settle for what is, would not be burdened by learning something new, and would prefer to keep antiquated systems even when new ones would be more beneficial.

Take electricity, for example. I read that when electricity was first introduced in buildings and homes, people feared it. There were no safe circuits available. When electric lights were introduced to the White House in 1891, President Harrison feared electrocution and even avoided touching them.

A newspaper entry from 1900 reads, “Do we really need it when gas lights work just fine, and horses are easier than cars?” 

As we enter 2026, we stand on the brink of many changes. Some are known, but many are not. Over the years, here is what I have learned about change.

Your attitude toward change is more important than the change

The only constant is change. We can control some changes, but can’t control most of them. However, we always have control over our attitude toward it.

When it comes to change, your attitude will help you navigate it, and how you navigate it will determine your success and peace of mind. Be careful about the choices you make.

You can be a change agent or a change spoiler.

As a leader, you are uniquely positioned to be a change agent for good. To that end, the world needs you. But you can’t be a change agent for good from the sidelines. Granted, not every idea for change is good, but not every idea for change needs to be resisted.

Your role as a leader is to be engaged, have the wisdom to discern right from wrong, and be the voice of reason.

Your personal growth is attached to your ability to change

John Maxwell said, “Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” And this is the secret sauce of your success. Change is going to happen with or without you. Your growth is optional.

Maxwell also said, “People change when they hurt enough that they have to change, learn enough that they want to change, receive enough that they can change.” 

So, in what ways do you want to change in 2026? What are you willing to do to embrace change? What will you do to grow in 2026 and become the person God desires you to be? Ready or not, 2026 is here, and it’s time for a change.

Listen For The Magic

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When something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical. – Jonathan Ive

Not long ago, I was walking into a store and, from a distance, I heard the very familiar sound of a bell ringing. There was no mistaking this sound. It’s one that I have heard many times before. It brought a smile to my face as it does each Christmas season. 

That familiar sound of the Salvation Army bell ringer is one that I was introduced to as a teenager many years ago. My father taught my siblings and me the importance of remembering others during seasons like this, and for several consecutive years, had us working as bell ringers during the Christmas season. 

It was an important lesson he wanted to impart to us about doing something tangible to help and serve others. It was an early introduction to framing my leadership later in life.

Not only did my father have us ringing bells for the Salvation Army out in the frigid temperatures several Christmas seasons in a row, but he also led by example. He was out there with us. He did this not because we needed the money, but because others did. 

The busyness of the season produces many casualties, least among them the ability to pause and reflect on the things that truly matter. The magic of Christmas gets lost in the stress over our Amazon packages arriving on time, company parties we’d rather skip, seeing relatives who drive us crazy, and fretting over whether you’ll get that latest “trending” toy that you will have at a yard sale next year. Sound familiar?

But amid all the noise, chaos, and stress comes an invitation to listen for the magic. But where do you find it? Here are a few ways it happens:

  • The magic happens when you listen for the faint sound of the bells.
  • The magic happens when you see the wonder of Christmas through a child’s eyes.
  • The magic comes when you deliver cookies at the local nursing home.
  • The magic happens when you provide a meal for an elderly neighbor.
  • The magic comes when you volunteer at your local food pantry.
  • The magic happens when you realize that the Christmas season doesn’t have to be perfect; you only need to be present.

Many years have passed since those bell-ringing days with the Salvation Army. It draws me back to where I learned some of life’s most important lessons. Those lessons didn’t come from a book or a lecture, but from a bell and a red kettle. 

As you navigate your way through the final days and hours of the Christmas season, I trust that it will be a magical time for you. I hope you will discover or rediscover the magic it offers.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson 

The Blessing of Crooked Paths

Two roads diverged in the woods, and I took the one less traveled.- Robert Frost

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he walked across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him.

He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow’s flight, and then young Frank’s tracks meandering all over the field. “Notice how your tracks wander from the fence to the cattle, to the woods, and back again,” his uncle said. “And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that.”

Years later, the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had significantly shaped his philosophy of life. “I determined right then not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had.” 

Since I can remember, I’ve always had a knack for coloring outside the margins, and whenever possible, taking the backroads. As an avid photographer, my camera bag has been a constant companion along the crooked paths to see things most never do. 

In leadership, your path to personal growth and success is rarely a straight arrow trajectory. It’s more like a squigly path of many twists and turns that leads you to where you go. 

I can look back on my leadership journey, as I am sure you can too, and reflect on all of the different twists and turns it has taken over time.

But it is in the meandering and unexpected turns that you develop your sense of purpose. Meandering doesn’t reflect wasted time; it’s merely time invested in gaining a larger perspective on the journey. Crooked paths build character.

So what should your approach be to the crooked paths and meandering spirit? Allow this fellow journeyman to share a few thoughts with you.

Crooked paths give you greater insight

A natural tendency in leadership is to seek direct paths to desired destinations, thinking that this approach is the most efficient. And in some situations, that thinking holds.

But what if in your destination for your business or you personally, was filled with crooked paths, and that maybe these paths give you a greater appreciation for the destination because of the lessons you learned along the way? The insights you gain on crooked paths today will better equip you for future paths.

Crooked paths build resilience

One of the most crucial skill sets you will develop over time as a leader is resilience. It’s the one skill that will empower you to keep going when you feel like giving up. The crooked path is the secret sauce to building resilience. 

Over the years, here’s what I’ve come to learn. My crooked paths at times were chosen and intentional. At other times, they were detours, and sometimes they were the result of me somehow losing my way. Regardless of how you come to find yourself on the crooked path, embrace it as your opportunity to learn, grow, explore, and not let it go to waste. On every crooked road is a lesson to learn. 

So let me ask, what path are you on in your leadership journey? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you are on a crooked road and you feel like you are meandering, that you have somehow lost your way. It very well may be the right road, at the right time, to prepare you for the next season in your life. This is not wasted time; it’s preparation. Embrace the blessing on the crooked road.

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Practice Your Gratitude

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“…And I know it’s not much

But I’ve nothing else fit for a king

Except for a heart singing hallelujah

Hallelujah”

  • Lyrics from Gratitude by Brandon Lake

Every year at this time, I find myself in a season of reflection between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each one now carries a much different meaning, especially since both of my parents are now at home in heaven. 

During this season, what are you thankful for? What memories do you still look back on that still bring a smile to your face?

I read about the Thompson family, who played a little game called “Say Something You’re Thankful For. It was supposed to be heartwarming. It was supposed to be meaningful. It was supposed to bring the family together.

Year after year, it had never succeeded. Not once.

This year, however, seven-year-old Lucas was determined to win…even though no one had ever explained how one wins gratitude.

Grandma started. “I’m thankful for my health,” she said, patting her knees as if they had personally carried her through the Great Depression.

Aunt Carol followed: “I’m thankful for my cat, Mr. Whiskers, whose presence fills my home with joy.” (The truth was that Mr. Whiskers filled her home with fur and passive-aggressive judgment, but who was keeping track?)

Then it was Jimmy’s turn. He had planned all week. He cleared his throat dramatically, stood up, and declared: “I’m thankful for…not being a turkey.” Everyone stared.

He continued, hands on his hips like a tiny philosopher: “Because if I were a turkey, this holiday would be very different for me.”

The table erupted in laughter- except Uncle Dave, who choked a little in his mashed potatoes. 

Also, Jimmy added, sensing his comedic momentum, “I’m thankful for Wi-Fi, juice boxes, and that Mom can’t make me eat green beans if I hide them under my napkin.” 

Mom sighed. Grandpa applauded. Aunt Carol looked like she wanted to adopt him. 

And for the first time in the Thompson family history, the game brought everyone together. Even if half of the togetherness involved checking under napkins for hidden vegetables.

As we gather around the table during this season with your loved ones, may we need to be less concerned about how perfect everything must be and practice gratitude for what matters most- those gathered at the table, cherishing every moment, and when we can, hiding vegetables.

©2025 Doug Dickerson

 

What I Heard is Not What She Said

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There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak. – Simon Sinek

Years ago, when our firstborn daughter was just a few months old, my wife called me at work one day to ask if I would stop by the store on my way home to pick up some rice cereal for our daughter’s bottle.

Our pediatrician had suggested this to my wife, and I was more than happy as a proud new father to help out. After all, how hard could it be to pick up some rice cereal?

When I arrived at the grocery store, I dutifully made my way to the cereal aisle. After a few minutes of comparing brands and prices, I settled on a choice I thought would not only please my wife but, more importantly, our new daughter. 

The only problem was that not only did I not pick out the right cereal, but I was not even on the right aisle in the store. When I arrived home with Popeye’s Puffed Rice cereal, not Gerber’s Rice cereal, she was less than pleased that I had made such a bone-headed mistake. 

The cereal that I was supposed to buy!

While my heart was in the right place, the choice was not. She put the cereal up in the pantry as a visual reminder for me going forward, that when I was sent to the store for something, I should be sure to understand what I was going for and how important it is that I listen to her. 

I can’t say that over the years I have always returned from the store with exactly what she wanted, and at times I tried to explain that I had no idea how certain items just happened to “fall into the cart” and end up bringing them home. 

I’ve learned that there is, at times, a vast difference between what she said, what I heard, and the outcome. When it comes to listening, connecting the dots doesn’t always come easy in marriage, in your leadership, in your workplace, or in how you lead the people around you.

In leadership, listening is your relational equity. It’s what will separate you from those who just want to talk and be heard. 

John Maxwell framed it this way when he said, “ Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.” And this is such a powerful thought. Most leaders are working hard to earn the right to speak when they should be working hard to earn the right to be heard by listening. 

Because it’s an essential tool in your leadership arsenal, here are a few of my suggestions for listening. See how these resonate with you.

Lean in and make eye contact

When in conversation with those you lead, make a point of leaning in and making eye contact. This intentional act signals that nothing is more important to you in that moment than what that person has to say. You can learn more about your people — and learn more from them—when you lean in and listen. 

There is a time and place for you to speak to your people. But you are earning the right to be heard when you listen. Click To Tweet

Practice mirroring and clarifying questions

When in conversation with another person, not only should you practice the art of leaning in, but, when appropriate, also mirror and ask clarifying questions. 

By mirroring what the other person has said, you demonstrate that you are fully engaged and truly listening. By asking clarifying questions, you are preventing potential misunderstandings. These two simple practices can dramatically remove potential pitfalls between what was said and what was heard. 

By practicing these two simple techniques, you can improve your listening skills and reduce misunderstandings that lead to unnecessary conflict. It will improve workplace culture, and it will keep you off the cereal aisle.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

When You Fall, Get Back Up

The elk that chased me.
Photo Courtesy of Doug Dickerson

It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up – Vince Lombardi

Recently, my wife and I went up to the Smoky Mountains for a long weekend. It’s something we do each October around my birthday. It’s a great time to take in the Fall colors and reconnect with nature. We both enjoy being outdoors, hiking to waterfalls, and exploring nature. 

As a photographer, I also use the time to update my portfolio with new pictures. I had scouted out a place where large herds of elk gather each morning and evening to graze in a meadow. It was a perfect spot, and I was ready for the experience.

I had great success on my first outing and decided to return the next morning at sunrise to shoot from a different part of the field. Sure enough, a large gathering of elk dutifully arrived for their morning graze. I had a great angle on a large bull elk, and as I stood at a fence capturing some fantastic shots, it was all going well, until it wasn’t. 

This large bull elk decided I was too close and came walking toward me. I kept taking pictures. He kept making that noise to inform me that I wasn’t welcome. His walk now became a trot, and he began to come at me with a higher degree of frustration. It was now time for me to listen and, more importantly, get moving. He was coming at me.

I did the only sensible thing I could in the moment – run! As I took off in the wet grass, it didn’t take me long to trip and face-plant on the ground.  My only concern in the moment was whether or not the elk had decided I was worth the trouble of stepping over the fence and continuing the pursuit, or if he was content enough to get a good laugh at me, all sprawled out of the ground, a muddy mess. Thankfully for me, he chose the latter. 

With my pride hurt, I got myself up, brushed off the grass and mud I was covered in, gathered my gear, and decided that a safer distance was now in order. After all, I did have a long lens on the camera, so I may as well use it.

The experience wasn’t lost on me from a leadership perspective, and perhaps there’s something in the story for you as well. Here are two of my takeaways.

Ignore warning signs at your own peril

Be it physical warning signs or the loud bulge of the elk, you and I ignore warning signs at our own peril.

In your leadership, you have warning signs to watch for as well. For instance, how’s your workplace culture? What signs are you ignoring that things may not be as healthy as they should be? What actions do you need to take? If we are missing the obvious cues around us, we put ourselves and others in jeopardy. 

Get back up when you fall

Every leader I know has, at one time or another, fallen. It’s going to happen. It may be the result of your actions and decisions, or some other circumstance. As leaders, we must learn how to fail and fall forward. It’s what will set you apart as a leader.

John Maxwell said, “God uses people who fail- ‘cause there aren’t any other kind around.” And this is the challenge we all share as leaders. Will we use the experience of falling or failure to move us forward, or will it be the place where our dreams die? It’s our choice. And my choice—and hopefully yours—is to fail forward. Get up, and keep going.

Winston Churchill exclaimed, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” Embrace courage today and know that many great successes await you once you get back up.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Be Present in The Moment

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If you’re going through something, just know that you’re gonna come out on the other side. You’re going through it-you’re not stuck there forever. – Tina Knowles

I read somewhere that in the early days of the Alaska Highway, tractor-trailer trucks would make deep ruts in the gravel as they carried construction equipment to boomtowns up north.

Someone posted this sign at the beginning of the road: “Choose Your Rut Carefully, You’ll Be In It For The Next 200 Miles.”  Talk about your ominous warning!

It’s not an uncommon experience at times as a leader to find yourself in a place where you feel stuck. Being in that season as a leader can be awkward. You know that you’re there, but you’re not quite sure why, and what’s worse, you’re not quite sure what to do about it. 

R. Narayana Murthy said, “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong.” And this is an essential part of understanding why you are stuck and how to turn it around.

So what does being stuck look like? For each leader, it’s different. Perhaps you’ve reached a plateau and you feel you have gone as far as you can in your current position. For another, it might have the characteristics of discouragement or frustration. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed with no relief in sight, with no direction on how to move forward. Does any of this sound familiar?

Being stuck at times as a leader is nothing new. How you get unstuck will make all the difference. The key is to be present in the moment. Click To Tweet

Being stuck at times in leadership is normal. And chances are, you’ve been stuck before. One of the worst things you can do is panic. It only makes matters worse. In times when you feel like you are stuck, why not embrace the moment, appreciate the new pace you now find yourself in, and use the time to reflect on where you are and what brought you to this point?

Years ago, I was snorkeling in the Bahamas. I had been out in the water much longer than I realized, and my body was tired. I got caught in the wake of a passing boat, and I was just too exhausted to continue. I began to panic. In doing so, I would go underwater, come up for air, and sink back down again, until a friend spotted me and realized what was happening. He wrapped his arms around me and told me not to panic and safely brought me to a place where I could stand on my own.

And this is why being stuck with so many leaders is dangerous. Not because you’re stuck but because you panic and you feel the need to do something about it. 

Here’s a thought for you – maybe you are right where you are meant to be. Perhaps you feel stuck because God is trying to get your attention and speak to you, and this is the only way it’s going to happen. Instead of trying to get out of it, why not see what you can learn from it? 

Margaret Storm Jameson, the English author, once wrote that when our minds turn toward the future, we spend an inordinate amount of time longing for it or dreading it. “The only way to live,” she said, “is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” 

Right now, you may feel stuck. You may feel frustrated and tempted to panic and make matters worse. Why not embrace the unrepeatable miracle you have by being present in the moment? 

©2025 Doug Dickerson