5 Lessons on Letting Go of What's Familiar When a New Season is Calling
BY CHRIS CARNEAL
A new school year is beginning at Booster, and every year I think through what our team needs to hear as our driving theme for the next ten months.
Our theme for the coming school year is STEADFAST.
I love this word and theme!
Back in June, I unpacked the idea of steadfastness to our top leaders at a training and culture event in Atlanta. I told them that my favorite definition is “faithful excellence over time.”
As I’ve been marinating on this idea, I wanted to share with you five lessons I'm learning about remaining steadfast in turbulent times.
1. Accept that change will never be finished
Lots of change is exhausting. And in the midst of it, it’s easy to wonder when the change will end…when things will stabilize.
Well, the truth is this: Change never stops. Never.
Technology changes. Customers change. People change. Families change. Organizations mature. The goal cannot be to reach a point where nothing moves. The goal is to become the kind of person who can remain grounded while everything moves. Personally and professionally.
Steadfastness is the ability to stay resilient, unshakable, and even joyful without becoming rigid or bitter.
2. Get perspective from outside your perspective
It’s called outside-in thinking, and it’s extremely essential for leaders.
When we’re surrounded by the walls of our own experience, every challenge can feel bigger and more confusing.
I love going outside-in…
Talk to mentors.
Study companies that have faced similar transitions.
Ask leaders with wisdom to identify what you're missing.
Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, has helped me understand this too. He spoke recently about leading Delta through 9/11, bankruptcy, recession, COVID, wars, tariffs, and rising oil prices. Talk about change! His strength came from knowing where to seek advice, reflection, and perspective.
When you sense a new transition, don’t let the feeling of overwhelm sideline you. Take action, and quickly reach out to those in your circle who can help you navigate a new perspective.
The right answer for what to do next is out there. Always! You’ve just got to go find it.
3. Admit what you don't know
One of the most powerful things I heard Ed say to his team in times of difficulty was, "I don't know, but we'll figure it out together."
That sentence carries humility and confidence at the same time.
Steadfast leaders don't pretend to have every answer. They tell the truth, bring people together, and keep working toward clarity.
If you let it, uncertainty can produce panic. Virtue-driven leaders learn to harness the uncertainty and use it to foster collaboration.
4. Let go of the role that belonged to the last season
Parenting has taught me a lot about transitions.
Over the years, we’ve taken our kids to JH Ranch out in California. One summer, their team taught the parents in attendance a lesson I’ll never forget. They told us about the four stages of parenting: Caretaker > Cop > Coach > Consultant. Each stage requires a different relationship and a different skill set.
The problem comes when we stay stuck in an old role…
A teenager needs a coach, but we keep acting like a cop.
An adult child needs a consultant, but we keep trying to control every decision.
The same thing happens in business. A growing team needs different leadership than a new team. And a mature company needs a different strategy than a startup.
It’s impossible to thrive in a new season if you refuse to let go of the old one. What’s coming next? That’s what the steadfast leader must prepare for.
5. Keep the mission steady while the methods change
Booster has changed many times, and we will keep changing. But our desire to strengthen schools, develop people, and create meaningful impact remains steadfast.
That's the balance.
The methods can evolve. The structure can change. The plan can be rewritten. But the mission (and our virtues) hold steady through any storm.
Seasons of change are challenging because they require us to release something familiar, maybe even something we love. But steadfastness gives us the courage to release it and step into the unknown.
CHRIS CARNEAL is the Founder and CEO of Booster, the nation’s largest school fundraising company. Since 2002, Booster has generated over $1 billion for schools across America. He and his wife, Lyndie, have been married more than 25 years and have four kids.
Chris writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, faith, and family in The Virtue-Driven Newsletter. SUBSCRIBE HERE
