Perhaps the most defining characteristic of a great man is how they handle adversity. When times get tough, and we’re stretched to our natural limits, the true character of a person reveals itself. As a part-time missionary and full-time traveler, I’ve been blessed to have three lifetimes’ worth of experiences in my short 42 years. However, many of those memorable encounters were not joyful in nature. I’ve served in some of the roughest places on the planet and witnessed true tragedy more than once, but the thing that always blows my mind in these inconceivable situations is the strength of the human spirit. When Russia dropped the first bombs on…

You may develop a teeny tiny hatred for leadership the day you have to lead people who don’t like you. Unfortunately, it’s a situation that anyone can fall into. You could be promoted to leading a project or get transferred to another department. You could even get a management role at a new company. Everything will seem normal until it isn’t. You notice some resistance, team members avoiding you, and some just outright showing that they do not like you.  You may be the kind of leader who believes you don’t have to be liked. But sometimes, when you lead people who do not like you, it becomes challenging to…

If you are a leader and not empowering your team, they are probably frustrated with you. It can be difficult for an employee to work without independence. Your team members appreciate you giving guidance but wish they could have more autonomy to really stretch their wings and fly. But it’s challenging to give all that responsibility to your team. After all, if things go wrong, you will take most of the heat. You just want to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that your people have everything they need. You want to be the leader who participates and actually does their job instead of staying locked away in…

Career setbacks are those things you never want to experience but know can happen at any time. Sure, you can do your job, make good decisions, and take advantage of opportunities as they come, but you cannot control external factors. Take the COVID pandemic, for example. Nobody saw it coming, and many people were laid off, with some never being able to bounce back from that setback. They did not do anything wrong; sometimes, you just fail.  So what happens in times like these? Where you come across a career setback and are struggling to keep it together. You want to keep it together, still have your pride, and get…

Someone once told me that when I finally got in charge, I’d be handling time the way I wanted. This person promised me free time and freedom, essentially getting paid to do nothing. I was excited. Then, I found out that when you are a leader, people expect a lot more from you. With leadership perks, a higher salary, and a role in calling the shots comes the need to make it make sense. In my first months as manager, I ended up working late every single day. It was tiresome; I was drowning. Then someone gave me the ‘brilliant’ idea to manage my time better. Naturally, I scoffed—I had…

When you are at work, discovering your purpose beyond making money is hard. In fact, many people go to work with money as their only goal. It’s not bad, obviously, but money should not be the end of it. Money is good and can keep you at your job for a long time. So, while you are working anyway, why not discover something other than money to keep you working? Consider that money comes at a certain time in a month, sometimes weekly, other times monthly. Finding your purpose beyond making money is what can keep you motivated and even happy at work. In addition, you could develop a plan…