It is a tough time to be a leader of any organization these days. The future is uncertain and impossible to predict. Forget six months from now. We don’t know what will happen the end of the month. How do you balance safety with a return to normal? To whom do you listen? And how do you please the customers, whether the customer is a shopper or a church attendee?

How to survive a pandemic is not exactly covered in the MBA program or in Seminary for that matter.

Then we have the twin towers of national racial unrest and a looming election that promises to be contentious. Plus, each of us has our own personal challenges, from financial concerns to worries about aging parents to teaching algebra to our seventh grader. (Personally, when the word problem brings up a train traveling west from Chicago going 60 mph and another train leaves Omaha going east at 70 mph, I lose interest pretty quickly. Come on! No one rides a train anymore.)

Most of us are upset, tense, and on edge. Prickly. Is that too strong a word? No, that sounds about right, doesn’t it? Prickly.

A friend sent an unsolicited email this week, ruminating on the current challenges of leading at church. One short paragraph made me laugh out loud.

For leaders who need to be liked, they need to get a dog. Maybe two. They will always like you and are quick to forgive.

To all my friends in leadership of any kind, I have two pieces of advice. Number one, get a dog. I personally recommend a Teacup Poodle. My dog, Macy, jumps up to see me every time I come through the door. She does not grill me about masks. In fact, as far as I can tell, she has absolutely no opinion on masks. And she treats me the same, whether the sermon was the bomb or a bust.

Second, just do the right thing. And cheer up while you are at it. Everyone does not hate you. I bet it is no more than 40-45% who would like to recall you from office.

Buck up. You can do this. You really can.

I love you.

—Chris Smith