Leadership in Low Gear: How to Get Unstuck and Keep Climbing

There was a time I found myself halfway up a muddy hill in my Jeep. I had committed to the climb, but before I knew it, the tires were spinning in place. The ruts were deep, the path ahead was steep, and progress had come to a standstill. Onlookers stood at the base of the hill, watching, while I sat behind the wheel, completely stuck, trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess.

Sound familiar?

Maybe not the off-roading part, but the experience of doing all the right things, moving in what you thought was the right direction - and suddenly… progress halts. You’re spinning your wheels. You lose momentum. The hill ahead seems impossible. And the more you push, the deeper you sink.

A Metaphor for Growth and Leadership

That moment became more than just an off-roading adventure. It became a metaphor for life and leadership.

Because here’s the thing: we all hit muddy hills.

Whether it’s in your career, personal growth, relationships, or in your leadership journey, there are seasons where the road feels heavy, traction is lost, and you’re left sitting in the tension between where you are and where you want to be.

But being stuck doesn’t mean you’re not meant to lead.

It doesn’t mean you chose the wrong hill.

It doesn’t mean you failed.

It means you’re human. And it means you’re being stretched.

That hill taught me that growth often comes disguised as resistance. And sometimes the best leaders are forged not in the spotlight, but in the mud, trying to figure out their next move.

Growth Requires Stretch

That muddy hill reminded me of two powerful truths from John Maxwell’s 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth:

The Law of the Rubber Band – Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.

We are meant to stretch. We grow when we lean into challenges. If I had stayed on flat ground, I never would have tested my limits. It was the climb (and the stuckness) that revealed what I was capable of.

The Law of Reflection – Learning to pause allows growth to catch up with you.

When I was spinning my wheels, what I needed most wasn’t to hit the gas harder - it was to stop, assess, and ask better questions. Where am I? What’s working? What’s not? What do I need that I don’t currently have? That pause created space to receive guidance, recalibrate my direction, and take intentional next steps. Without reflection, I may have kept grinding myself deeper into the mud.

Leadership requires the same thing. If we never stop to reflect, we miss the opportunity to grow with wisdom, not just experience.

Leadership Isn’t About Avoiding the Mud

True leadership doesn’t happen when everything is smooth and easy.

It’s forged in the moments when things get messy. When momentum fades. When you’re forced to recalibrate in real-time and lead with humility, resilience, and a teachable spirit.

Great leaders know what it feels like to be stuck. They know how to pause without quitting. They know how to ask for help without shame. And they know how to guide others because they’ve been in the rut themselves.

So if you find yourself spinning, stuck, or unsure you’re in good company. The climb may not be easy, but it’s building something in you that smooth roads never could.

This Week’s Leadership Reflection

Pause and consider:

• Where am I feeling stuck and what is that tension inviting me to stretch toward?

• Am I trying to force my way forward, or is it time to recalibrate?

• Who or what can I lean on for support, guidance, or a new perspective?

Even muddy hills can lead to beautiful views.

Just don’t forget, the traction you need might come from a pause, not a push.

Here is to getting unstuck!