Tag: Personal Growth

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 

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

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

What’s In a Name?

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Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering. – Theodore Roosevelt

I read a story of a local sportscaster doing radio coverage of an Indiana high school football game from the stands, who used a chart listing the names, numbers, and positions of the players to help him describe the action.

Then it began to rain, and the ink on the chart ran, and the numbers on the backs of the players were covered with mud. Identifying the home team was easy, but the only familiar name on the lineup of the visiting Chicago team was that of Blansky, a linebacker who was up for All-State.

As local listeners were unfamiliar with the Chicago players, and his station’s signal wasn’t strong enough to reach Chicago, the sportscaster invented the names of the Chicago players, except for Blansky. And since he was the only legitimate name, he played by play with Blansky, making most of the tackles.

The next day, the Chicago coach called him to say he had done a really nice job covering the game – except for one thing. Blansky had broken his leg in the first half and spent the second half in the hospital, listening to himself playing one heck of a game. 

Dale Carnegie stated, “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. Nothing could be truer. 

A few years back, I was on a tour at Harvard University. I learned that before new students moved into the dorms, the resident assistants were required to study the information packets about them and memorize their names and faces, so when a new student walked in, they would be able to greet them by name.

Over the years, I haven’t always been good with names, but I do make a conscious effort to learn and remember names. As a leader, I recognize that this is an important area that requires my attention and improvement.  Since it hasn’t always been my strong suit, I find ways to associate names with the individuals I meet in order to remember it.

In your leadership, nothing means more to your people than the mention of their name. Here are a couple of reasons why it matters.

It demonstrates value

If a person’s name spoken is truly the sweetest and most important sound to another person, then why now honor them by greeting them by name? I also try to make it a practice not just to greet them by name, but to do so by saying “There you are!” with a degree of enthusiasm that lets them know that I am genuinely delighted to see them. 

The most valuable possession another person has is their name. When you treat it as such, you are perhaps honoring a family name with a story you need to get to know. You are honoring the memory of a loved one or family heritage. So much lies beneath the surface of a name. Be intentional about using a person’s name. It matters more than you realize. Click To Tweet

It breaks down barriers

In my business, I make it a practice to know and remember the names of everyone I come in contact with. As the owner and administrator of a microschool with 70 students and staff, I begin my day by working the car line each morning and greeting each student. I learn their names, give high-fives, pats on the back, and make each student feel special. Each staff member, of course, is greeted by name, and I insist they address me by my name without the formalities.

I have discovered that this breaks down barriers and makes everyone around me know that I am approachable. When I am approachable, it breaks down barriers to good communication. Try it.

Whose name are you dropping today?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What Suits Your Giving?

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Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out. – Frank A. Clark

The story goes that one day, a beggar by the roadside asked Alexander the Great for alms as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand.

Yet the Emperor threw in several gold coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet the beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Copper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s giving.” 

This story is a simple yet powerful lesson in generosity, and it also serves as a valuable reminder for leaders to take to heart. 

I read recently that for the first time, we have five generations in the workforce. This means that needs, priorities, and sources of meaning vary. Generosity becomes even more important because you cannot achieve everything on your own. We must acknowledge that generosity is essential as we work with and empower others.

How different might things look in your organization if generosity became the norm, and the desire to see others succeed was the key source of motivation? Is this even attainable? 

Call me naive, but when leaders embrace an attitude of generosity, it can and it will create shifts within the culture. Are you ready to embrace it? What approach should leaders take? Here are a few suggestions.

Raise expectations

Often, it’s not a question of resources that leads to selfishness in the workplace, thus resulting in a lack of generosity; instead, it’s a lack of defined expectations. When generosity becomes the expectation, it frees people up to be more generous.

Raised expectations throughout the organization set the standard for your people individually and collectively. With generous expectations, generous results will follow.

Clarify the mission

Raising expectations is just the beginning of the shift that is necessary in your organization if you are going to be generous. Righting the ship away from a stingy, silo-driven culture toward a generous and compelling one will require clarity of task and mission.

As a leader, the shift begins with you. You must know the direction the team needs to move toward and what it will take to get there. 

Lead by example

Leading the way as a generous leader is not just about shallow platitudes. It’s more than just a kind word at the start of the day.

Generosity is a cultural mindset that:

  • Gives more than what’s expected
  • Understands that the success of the organization matters more than my individual success
  • Will share whatever resources I have freely 
  • Holds myself to a higher standard
  • Will empower others to do what they do best without my interference
  • Realizes that it’s not about me

When these attitudes become the driving force of your generosity, it will be the catalyst for the type of change you desire. 

When considering what suits your giving, are you giving to others according to what you think your team needs, or out of a higher standard of giving that is abundantly generous?

©2025 Doug Dickerson

In a Well With a Bull Moose: A Lesson in Why We Need Each Other

Credit: AP News

How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing. – S. Truett Cathy

The other week, a bull moose somehow managed to fall into an abandoned well in a forested area of Maine. A team worked for about five hours to free the animal, as initially the landowners thought it may have been a turkey or some other type animal. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be much larger.

The land owners were not even aware of the abandoned well until the discovery of the bull moose. With the animal in distress, they summoned the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which sent a biologist to assist the family in the rescue.

Using an excavator provided by the family, the animal was freed from the well, much to the relief of everyone. The family stated that the well has now been capped, preventing any more animals or humans from falling into it. As for the bull moose? Once it was free, it took off running and perhaps had a bruised ego. 

If you hang around in leadership long enough, it’s not too far-fetched to know that sometimes we can end up in situations like the bull moose, or we know someone who is. And when those times come, what is a leader to do? 

Consider these statistics:

  • 56% of leaders experienced burnout in 2024, an increase from 52% in 2023, according to a report by Staffing Industry Analysts
  • 41% of senior leaders are stressed, and 36% are exhausted, per a 2022 Deloitte report
  • 42% of senior leaders attribute the top cause of their stress to their own self-imposed pressure
  • In a Spring Health study, 41% of employees expressed having little confidence in their leaders’ ability to support mental health, leading to a ‘leadership gap”.

Here are some practical considerations and reminders to keep in mind when you find yourself feeling trapped in the proverbial leadership well, along with some steps you can take for yourself or for those around you.

No one is immune to falling into the well

You know as well as I do that no one is immune to falling into the proverbial well from time to time. I have been there many times myself. Seasoned leaders and new ones alike today find themselves challenged like never before, and stress can be a constant friend. The well is a simple reminder that we are on a shared journey.

You are not alone

One of the greatest lies you can believe as a leader is that you are all alone. You may feel like you are stuck or have fallen into a well, feeling alone and unseen. Your struggle may be hard, you may feel overwhelmed, and you may even feel like giving up. But take heart, you are seen, your voice is heard, and you are not alone. You will emerge from this stronger and better equipped than before.

Everyone needs encouragement

We need each other. And everyone needs encouragement. I am thankful for the times when I was in the well, that I had friends who were there to lift me up and out. And I am grateful and humbled by the times I have been there for others in similar situations. 

I am reminded of the words of Stephen Covey, who said, “Through years of study, teaching, and working with people all over the world, from all walks of life, I have determined that leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential in a way that is so clear that they come to see it in themselves.” 

This is one of the clearest mandates for how we ought to communicate with the people and leaders around us. By our words and actions, people should know that we, too, are familiar with life in the well, that they are not alone, they are seen and not judged, and we have their backs.

The late Robin Williams once said, “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always”. This is our commission as leaders.

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Never Too Late

Returned Library Book. Credit: AP News

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

In case you missed it, a San Antonio, Texas library had an overdue book returned – 82 years late.

The book came with a note stating, “Grandma won’t be able to pay for it anymore.” The book, “Your Child, His Family, and Friends,” was checked out in July 1943. The book was a guide for parents on helping their children navigate personal relationships. 

The library said in a news release that it eliminated overdue fines in 2021. The inside cover of the book was stamped with the warning that the fine for overdue books was three cents a day. Not counting for inflation, the penalty would amount to nearly $900 today.

The book was found inside a box filled with other books that had been inherited by the person who sent it back. While it’s a great human interest story of returning the book 82 years past due, it also serves as another reminder for us: it’s never too late to do the right thing, become the person you were created to be, and dream new dreams.

Just in case you need to hear this, allow me to remind you that as long as you have breath in your lungs, God is not finished with you yet. It’s not too late. Here are a few examples of people who dared to believe that it was not too late for them or us.

“Grandma” Moses

Anna Moses loved to embroider, but when her fingers started to fail at the age of 78, she took up painting. Today, she is remembered as one of America’s great folk artists, who painted scene after scene of American rural life. 

“Colonel” Harland Sanders

Harland Sanders worked a variety of odd jobs throughout his life, and watched his first attempt at a fried chicken restaurant fail at the age of 65. However, Sanders used his Social Security checks to start franchising Kentucky Fried Chicken, which has become the success it is today.

Henry Ford

In his youth, Ford worked for Thomas Edison, where he developed methods to improve the then-new automobile. It was not until he was 40 that he founded the Ford Motor Company, where he introduced the Model T five years later. 

Richard Adams

While he worked as a British civil servant, Adams told his two daughters a story about a rabbit, who insisted that he write it down. After writing it down two years later, he published Watership Down, which instantly became a children’s literary classic.

Sam Walton

Sam Walton ran several stores and failed many times in the process. However, he learned from his failures and applied the lessons to open the first Walmart at 44, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the world. 

The examples above are but a small sampling of well-known people who refused to believe that their story was over, given their age. Countless others have similar stories. What are some of the common denominators that these people share, and what takeaways can you apply? Here is what I see.

It’s never too late to dream

No matter your age, as long as there is a dream in you, you can attain it if you don’t give up. Dreams don’t come with expiration dates, just people who give up too soon. Dare to dream and dare to believe you can achieve it. 

It’s never too late to fail and try again

The examples of these inspiring people remind us that success doesn’t come without a price and that price often is a string of failures on the road to success. It’s not about whether you will fail, but whether or not you will fail forward.

It’s never too late to believe that age is just a number

Would anyone have really blamed  “Grandma” Moses at 78 for not taking up painting when her fingers were giving out? I don’t think so. But she believed in herself, as did countless others who saw their greatest contributions come later in life. The world needs your inspiration and example, and your greatest achievements are yet to come.

It’s never too late to start

As you read this, I simply don’t want you to be inspired. I want you to be challenged to believe that your story isn’t finished. I want you to be inspired to believe that the setbacks, failures, and challenges you have faced have not defeated you; they have helped define you. Your best and most productive days are not behind you; you’re just getting warmed up. Do you believe this?


It’s never too late!

©2025 Doug Dickerson

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