{"id":1051,"date":"2026-02-24T22:43:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/?p=1051"},"modified":"2026-02-24T22:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:52:12","slug":"in-season-and-out-of-season-leadership-lessons-from-a-broken-heater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/in-season-and-out-of-season-leadership-lessons-from-a-broken-heater\/","title":{"rendered":"In Season and Out of Season: Leadership Lessons From a Broken Heater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s a universal truth: heaters never break in the summer, and air conditioners never break in the winter. This irony circled my mind as I bundled up against the biting cold, relying on a feeble mini heater to ward off the chill. My main heater had called it quits, and the maintenance man\u2019s words\u2014\u201cthe timing couldn\u2019t be worse\u201d\u2014only underscored our predicament, as we navigated below-freezing temperatures.<\/div>
\u00a0<\/div>
Surprisingly, this brought to mind a phrase I\u2019d often heard in church growing up: \u201cYou have a responsibility to preach in season and out of season.\u201d Only later did I realize that this wisdom came straight from scripture: \u201cPreach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching\u201d (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV).\u00a0 Leaders, pastors, and people alike are called to act, whether conditions are ideal or not.<\/div>
\u00a0<\/div>
This experience with the broken heater, paired with that familiar saying, merged into a powerful revelation: true leadership\u2014and true character\u2014are tested not when everything runs smoothly, but when things go awry. It\u2019s easy to lead, perform, or keep a positive outlook when life is comfortable. The real test comes when the company is failing, your plans unravel, or the warmth you need\u2014literally or metaphorically\u2014is missing.<\/div>
Here are some lessons that we all need to settle into:<\/div>
  1. Expect Adversity:<\/strong> Problems rarely show up when it\u2019s convenient. Being prepared for challenges\u2014mentally and practically\u2014makes it easier to face them when they arise.<\/li>
  2. Lead Regardless of the Season:<\/strong> Leadership is not about waiting for the right moment; it\u2019s about stepping up when things are tough, even if no one seems receptive or conditions are unfavorable.<\/li>
  3. Resilience Is Built in the Cold:<\/strong> Just as you find out how well your heater works when it\u2019s cold, you discover your own resilience when circumstances are harsh. These are the moments that shape you.<\/li>
  4. Consistency Matters:<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s delivering a message, guiding a team, or simply staying true to your values, showing up consistently\u2014\u201cin season and out of season\u201d\u2014builds trust and respect.<\/li>
  5. Adapt and Improvise:<\/strong> Sometimes all you have is a mini heater and a pile of sweaters. Make do with what you have, and don\u2019t wait for perfect conditions to act.<\/li><\/ol>
    The next time something breaks at the worst possible moment, remember: these are the moments that define us and present our greatest opportunities for growth. Whether leading in warmth or in cold, our responsibility is clear\u2014show up, lead, and grow, in season and out.<\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a universal truth: heaters never break in the summer, and air conditioners never break in the winter. This irony circled my mind as I bundled up against the biting cold, relying on a feeble mini heater to ward off the chill. My main heater had called it quits, and the maintenance man\u2019s words\u2014\u201cthe timing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20,18],"tags":[31,37,40,30,41,35,29,38,33,32,39,36,34],"class_list":["post-1051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winning-at-home","category-winning-in-business","category-winning-personally","tag-adversity","tag-character","tag-consistency","tag-faith","tag-growth-mindset","tag-inspiration","tag-leadership-lessons","tag-motivation","tag-personal-development","tag-resilience","tag-responsibility","tag-scripture","tag-workplace-challenges","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":"\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a universal truth: heaters never break in the summer, and air conditioners never break in the winter. This irony circled my mind as I bundled up against the biting cold, relying on a feeble mini heater to ward off the chill. My main heater had called it quits, and the maintenance man\u2019s words\u2014\u201cthe timing couldn\u2019t be worse\u201d\u2014only underscored our predicament, as we navigated below-freezing temperatures.\u00a0Surprisingly, this brought to mind a phrase I\u2019d often heard in church growing up: \u201cYou have a responsibility to preach in season and out of season.\u201d Only later did I realize that this wisdom came straight from scripture: \u201cPreach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching\u201d (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV).\u00a0 Leaders, pastors, and people alike are called to act, whether conditions are ideal or not.\u00a0This experience with the broken heater, paired with that familiar saying, merged into a powerful revelation: true leadership\u2014and true character\u2014are tested not when everything runs smoothly, but when things go awry. It\u2019s easy to lead, perform, or keep a positive outlook when life is comfortable. The real test comes when the company is failing, your plans unravel, or the warmth you need\u2014literally or metaphorically\u2014is missing.Here are some lessons that we all need to settle into:

    1. Expect Adversity:<\/strong> Problems rarely show up when it\u2019s convenient. Being prepared for challenges\u2014mentally and practically\u2014makes it easier to face them when they arise.<\/li>
    2. Lead Regardless of the Season:<\/strong> Leadership is not about waiting for the right moment; it\u2019s about stepping up when things are tough, even if no one seems receptive or conditions are unfavorable.<\/li>
    3. Resilience Is Built in the Cold:<\/strong> Just as you find out how well your heater works when it\u2019s cold, you discover your own resilience when circumstances are harsh. These are the moments that shape you.<\/li>
    4. Consistency Matters:<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s delivering a message, guiding a team, or simply staying true to your values, showing up consistently\u2014\u201cin season and out of season\u201d\u2014builds trust and respect.<\/li>
    5. Adapt and Improvise:<\/strong> Sometimes all you have is a mini heater and a pile of sweaters. Make do with what you have, and don\u2019t wait for perfect conditions to act.<\/li><\/ol>The next time something breaks at the worst possible moment, remember: these are the moments that define us and present our greatest opportunities for growth. Whether leading in warmth or in cold, our responsibility is clear\u2014show up, lead, and grow, in season and out.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1051"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1060,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051\/revisions\/1060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emprepinc.com\/cyl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}