The Secret Weapon of Waiting
Every month I pick a word to focus on—something that shapes my leadership (and occasionally exposes how impatient I really am). This month’s word hit me while sitting twenty feet up in a tree stand, wondering why I ever thought freezing in the woods was a good hobby.
The word? WAIT.
Lesson 1: The Tree Stand Doesn’t Lie
There’s no faking patience in a tree stand. You realize quickly that:
You’re not in control.
You wiggle far more than you’d like to admit.
Leadership is the same. We rush, we force outcomes, we “wiggle” our way into decisions that aren’t ready yet. Waiting slows us down long enough to see what’s actually happening—inside us and around us.
Lesson 2: Waiting Isn’t Doing Nothing
Waiting in the woods isn’t passive; it’s paying attention. You’re listening, scanning, noticing.
Leadership waiting works the same way. It’s strategic. It’s forming you. And it’s usually where God does His best work…right when you’re tempted to climb down and go get lunch.
Lesson 3: Rushing Makes Us Miss the Good Stuff
Move too fast in a tree stand and you scare everything away—including your dignity.
Rushing in leadership does the same:
We make decisions from anxiety, not wisdom.
We speak too quickly.
We miss people we should notice.
Sometimes the thing we’re waiting for is already moving toward us—we just need to stop flailing long enough to see it.
Lesson 4: The Wait Shapes the Leader
Up in the trees, I found myself thinking:
“Maybe the waiting isn’t about the deer. Maybe it’s about the becoming.”
The best leaders aren’t just good at acting—they’re good at waiting with intention.
Your Call to Action: Practice the Pause
This week, choose one moment where you’d normally rush — a conversation, a decision, a reaction — and practice the pause instead.
Ask: What might God want to show me here… if I stop wiggling?
Leadership is unfinished.
And waiting might be your next secret weapon.