Obstacles – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

An Obstacle or Opportunity?

Posted March 17, 2025March 17, 2025
by admin

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. – Frank A. Clark

A story tells of an ancient time when a king placed a boulder on a roadway as a test. After placing the boulder in the road, he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and couriers came by and simply walked around it. Many blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the boulder out of the way.

Then, a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where he had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many never understood. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

What do you do with the boulders and challenges you find on your road? How do you handle adversity? What are the consequences of your decisions? Let’s look at some examples from the story.

You can ignore them.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and couriers first approached the boulder in the road. Being people of wealth and means, you would think that if they couldn’t move the boulder themselves, at the least, they could pay someone to do it for them. Wrong.

The first group left the boulder right where it was, a convenient representation of their desire not to get involved or be bothered. Many complained and blamed the king for the poor road conditions.

From a leadership perspective, this was a terrible move, not just because they could have done something about it but also because they passed the burden of the boulder on to the next set of travelers to fix. The wealthy merchants represent self-absorbed leaders who only think of themselves. And now, because of their actions, they leave the problem to someone else.

Leaders, remember that your actions today bear consequences for others tomorrow. You can leave a clear path for others or leave obstacles you find for others to deal with later.

Leadership Insight: Small obstacles you ignore today can become boulders tomorrow. Clear the path not only for yourself but for those who follow you.

Additional Resource: Embracing The Hard Things in Leadership

You can do the heavy lifting and reap the reward.

The peasant comes down the road and finds the same boulder blocking his path. Unable to remove it himself, he recruits some help, and together, they move it.

The peasant in the story represents a servant leadership mindset. He knows that it is in his best interest to move the boulder for his own passage and for those coming behind him.

In his book, High Road Leadership, John Maxwell writes, “When you do what’s right, you’re not only taking the high road with others. You are taking the high road with yourself.” And this is precisely what the peasant and his helpers did. They took the high road by clearing the road for others to travel.

The happy ending to the story is that the king left a note and a purse filled with gold coins – the reward for the person who moved the boulder from the road.

While the servant leadership mindset is not about what you get in return for your actions, it demonstrates that good things come to those who put others first. When you take the high road, you make the road better for everyone. Click To Tweet

Leadership Insight: As a leader, be willing to do the heavy lifting – not for the sake of the reward, but because of the joy found in serving others.

On your leadership journey, you will encounter boulders. How you see them—as obstacles or opportunities—will make all the difference.

Additional Resource: The Power of Resistance in Leadership

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Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities

Posted May 6, 2024May 11, 2024
by admin

Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal. – E. Joseph Cossman

I read a story about a young man who aimed to be a star journalist. However, he lived in a small town with little hope of attaining that goal.

One day the dam upstream broke and the town was flooded. Seizing the opportunity, the aspiring journalist got in a rowboat and headed out to find a story. A short time later, he discovered a woman sitting on her rooftop. He tied up the boat and told her what he was after. They watched as various items floated past the house. The woman would say, “Now there’s a story,” or “No, that’s not a story,” as each item floated past them.

Finally, a hat floats by and then does a 180-degree turn, goes back upstream a ways, and does another 180-degree turn. This continues for a while. Excited, the young man exclaims, “Now, that’s a story!” The woman turns to the young man and says, “Oh no, that’s not a story, that’s my husband. He said he was going to mow the lawn come hell or high water!”.

In life, as in leadership, we often face obstacles disguised as opportunities. But if we take our goals for too long we can be distracted and soon we only see obstacles. As leaders, we must be intentional about this challenge.

Consider what happened to Thomas Edison in December 1914. Thomas Edison experienced such a defining moment. His lab caught fire and everything was destroyed. He lost almost $1 million of equipment and the record of much of his work. The next morning, when walking around the charred embers of his hopes and dreams, the 67-year-old inventor said, “There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew.”

How can an aspiring young journalist, or an inventor like Edison, find the opportunity in chaos and obstacles? There are a few clues worth discovering and applying in your leadership.

One person’s flood is another person’s break

When the dam broke and the town flooded, it was an opportunity for the aspiring journalist to find his big story – to get his big break. He had the ambition to get in the boat and look for it.

When the dams break around you, what you choose to see and how you respond will make all the difference between it being an obstacle and an opportunity. Click To Tweet

One person’s fire is another person’s reset

When Edison’s lab was destroyed by fire when he was 67, throwing it in the towel and calling it quits would have been easy. I am sure many would not have blamed him. But he chose to start anew. Within thirty days after the fire, Edison delivered the first phonograph.

For Edison, the fire was his reset. Many of his great works came after the fire. When you face obstacles and challenges, it allows you the opportunity to hit the reset button and move in a new and better direction.

Final Thoughts

Here is a challenge for you that comes from John Maxwell. He asks, “The last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed, or did you fail because you stopped trying?” Much is riding on your answer. You will face obstacles, but whether you turn them into opportunities is what you have to decide.

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Leadership Minute: Have You Met Your Mountain?

Posted November 12, 2013
by admin

Great things are done when men and mountains meet. – William Blake

As a leader you will meet your mountain. It may not be a mountain you were expecting and you may not meet it at a time of your choosing. But you will meet it. The question now is how are you are going to conquer it? Are you going to listen to those who say you can’t master it or are you going to scale it with the purpose of achieving something great? Your attitude will determine whether you achieve great things by climbing it or if you are going to be overwhelmed by it. Do you have a mountain in front of you? Look up! A great possibility is before you.

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If you enjoy reading the Leadership Minute you will especially enjoy reading Doug’s books, Leaders Without Borders & Great Leaders Wanted! Visit Doug’s website to order your copies today.

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