Are you stuck in a rut? Here’s how to turn it around

If you’re going through something, just know that you’re gonna come out on the other side. You’re going through it – you’re not stuck there forever. - Tina Knowles 

I read somewhere that in the early days of the Alaska Highway, tractor-trailer trucks would make deep ruts in the gravel as they carried construction equipment to boomtowns up north. 

Someone posted this sign at the beginning of the road: “Choose your rut carefully, You’ll be in it for the next 200 miles.” Talk about your ominous warning! 

It’s not an uncommon experience at times as a leader to find yourself in a place where you feel stuck. Being in that season as a leader can be awkward. You know you’re there, but you’re not quite sure why, and what’s worse, you’re not quite sure what to do about it. 

Billionaire businessman N. R. Narayana Murthy said, “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong.” And this is an essential part of understanding why you are stuck and how to turn it around. 

GETTING UNSTUCK 

So what does being stuck look like? For each leader, it’s different. Perhaps you’ve reached a plateau, and you feel you have gone as far as you can in your current position. For another, it might have the characteristics of discouragement or frustration. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed with no relief in sight, with no direction on how to move forward. 

Does any of this sound familiar? 

Being stuck at times as a leader is nothing new. How you get unstuck will make all the difference. The key is to be present in the moment. 

Being stuck at times in leadership is normal. And chances are, you’ve been stuck before. One of the worst things you can do is panic. It only makes matters worse. In times when you feel like you are stuck, why not embrace the moment, appreciate the new pace you now find yourself in, and use the time to reflect on where you are and what brought you to this point? 

EACH MINUTE IS A MIRACLE 

Years ago, I was snorkeling in the Bahamas. I had been out in the water much longer than I realized, and my body was tired. I got caught in the wake of a passing boat, and I was just too exhausted to continue. I began to panic. 

In doing so, I would go underwater, come up for air, and sink back down again until a friend spotted me and realized what was happening. He wrapped his arms around me and told me not to panic and safely brought me to a place where I could stand on my own. 
And this is why being stuck for so many leaders is dangerous. Not because you’re stuck but because you panic and you feel the need to do something about it. 

Here’s a thought for you: maybe you are right where you are meant to be. Perhaps you feel stuck because God is trying to get your attention and speak to you, and this is the only way it’s going to happen. Instead of trying to get out of it, why not see what you can learn from it? 

Margaret Storm Jameson, the English author, once wrote that when our minds turn toward the future, we spend an inordinate amount of time longing for it or dreading it. “The only way to live,” she said, “is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.”  
Right now, you may feel stuck. You may feel frustrated and tempted to panic and make matters worse. Why not embrace the unrepeatable miracle you have by being present in the moment? 

More at dougdickerson.net or email Doug at dougdickersonleadership@gmail.com. ©2025 Doug Dickerson.