Obedience and Opportunity

Yesterday, I attended a monthly event called "Lunch with a Leader".

 Mike Linch posed a compelling question:

The answer to this question doesn’t just apply to leadership, it applies to all aspects of life.

In fact, during a recent conversation with a friend who had just closed a significant business deal, I asked what he’d done differently the week leading up to the sale. His response was telling: “To be honest, I didn’t do anything different last week. But in the weeks before, I was intentional about my daily activity. Last week, I just reaped the benefits.”

Dr. Ike Reighard once said, “Great doors of opportunity swing on the tiny hinges of obedience.” This profound truth applies to every aspect of leadership – both professional and personal.

Consider these examples:

• The opportunity for a big sale starts with consistently pursuing a client. 
• The opportunity for your team to succeed starts with creating systems and structures to enable progress. 
• The opportunity for an online purchase is created by intentionally investing in a user-friendly experience. 
• The company culture you want to build begins by fostering the right environment before people walk through the door. 
• The fully committed church member develops through small groups and plugging into other activities.
• The successful nonprofit makes a huge impact by consistently connecting with donors and providing strategic training for volunteers.

And the same is true in our personal lives too:

• The opportunity for deep friendship develops through regular, meaningful conversations.
• The opportunity for a thriving relationship with your spouse starts with daily acts of love and presence.
• The opportunity for a strong bond with your children grows through consistent, engaged moments.

Here’s what many leaders miss: The payoff rarely comes at the moment of investment. Leadership requires the patience to keep investing when results aren’t yet visible. The wise leader recognizes that today’s small actions create tomorrow’s big opportunities.

This principle transcends industry and position. Whether you’re leading a startup, managing a department, building a nonprofit, or nurturing your family, your success requires dedication to mundane daily actions.

I encourage you to identify the “tiny hinges” in both your leadership role and personal life. What small, consistent actions could swing open doors of opportunity for your team? What daily disciplines, if maintained, could transform your organization’s future? What tiny investments could strengthen your most important relationships?

Remember: Those big doors of opportunity don’t swing open by accident.