Nobody Told Me Leading Through Change Would Feel Like This

I sat in a meeting today.

And if I’m being honest… it was tense. The last few years of meetings have been tense. Life has been tense. The kind of tense where you can feel it in the room before anyone even says a word.

If you’re leading anything right now (a team, a church, a business, a family) you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

But somewhere in the middle of that meeting, my mind shifted. And I started thinking about a few things that pulled me back to solid ground. I’m sharing them because I have a feeling I’m not the only one who needed them today.

1. I Haven’t Arrived Yet… And That’s Good News.

I used to think the goal was to finally get to a place where everything was figured out. But I’m starting to believe the step I’m taking today matters more than some distant destination I haven’t reached yet. I’m not behind. I’m moving. And moving is winning.

2. The Process Is the Point.

I’ve been tempted to treat the struggle as the problem. But what if the struggle is the journey? If I’m still in process, it means I’m still alive. Still growing. The pressure I feel isn’t a sign something is wrong… it might be a sign something is happening.

3. I Don’t Walk This Out Alone.

This one hit me hard today. I’ve got people around me (family, friends, teammates) who genuinely care about where I’m going. Not just where I’ve been. That kind of community isn’t common. It’s sacred. And on the tense days, it’s everything.

4. I Have a Front Row Seat to One of the Greatest Shifts in Human History.

Let that land for a sec. AI is rewriting industries overnight. Communication has been completely transformed. The way people find community, build trust, engage with church, do business… all of it is being rewired in real time. I’m not falling behind the change. I’m inside it. And leaders who stay in the room right now aren’t just surviving… they’re being shaped for something significant.

5. Every Leader Is Figuring This Out Right Now.

Every single one. There is no industry, no organization, no church that has a perfect playbook for this moment. The most experienced leaders in the world are building the plane while flying it… just like me. That doesn’t scare me anymore. It actually frees me. I don’t have to have it all together. I just have to stay in the game and keep taking the next step.

The meetings will probably stay tense for a while. Life might too.

But I’m still here. Still moving. Still believing the best days are ahead… not behind.

And if you’re leading through something hard right now, I just want you to know… so am I. And we’re gonna make it!

Keep going.

Ben

BEN DAILEY

www.awakenchurch.ac

benwdailey@awakenchurch.ac

972.261.1919

LEAD PASTOR