Second-chair leadership tension is rarely about mission—it’s about identity. When who we sense we are becoming no longer matches what we’re doing in the present, internal friction rises. Learning to steward that gap well can shape leaders for deeper, long-term impact.

At FCA last week, someone asked me why I do what I do. Years ago, God formed a life mantra in me — to authentically lead and empower others to flourishing life. And that conviction has shaped everything: ministry, officiating, sports announcing, developing interns, training younger leaders. Leadership isn’t measured by what you build but by who you develop. Your greatest legacy won’t be your accomplishments—it will be the people who learned to lead because you showed them how.

Chris Berman used to say, “Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.” Leadership works the same way. Great leaders don’t withstand pressure because they’re strong—they withstand it because they’re surrounded by the right people: encouragers, wisdom-givers, and truth-tellers.