Every year, our family practices a simple but meaningful tradition. Each of us chooses a single word to guide the year ahead. Not as a resolution, but as a lens. A word to pay attention to, to live with, and to let shape us over time.

Today, I am joined by my wife, Jana, our son Seth, and daughter Megan. Together, we look back on the past twelve months and reflect on how these words played out in real life. Not theory. Not polish. Just honest stories of growth, tension, and becoming.

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Leadership was never meant to be a solo pursuit. We talk often about courage, clarity, and competence, but rarely about the friendships that make those possible.

In this episode, Doug unveils the idea of relational currency: the value exchanged between people who know and trust each other. Drawing from Tom Rath’s work on Vital Friends and identity-based leadership framework, he explores why friendship is more than emotional support; it’s the infrastructure of resilience and influence. This is a reminder that the most sustainable leaders invest not just in performance, but in people who help them remember who they are when the title is not enough.

Update: This is our final episode of 2025. We’re taking some time to step back, listen, and rethink how to serve you even better next year. See you in 2026, renewed and ready.

To Order Doug's Books: The Resiliency Quest,Mad About Us

Visit Doug's Website: https://www.dougmckinley.com/

Receive a Free Leadership Resource: Leadership Guide

In this final episode of The Resiliency Quest series, the mic remains in the hands of guest host Adam Mock, who turns the focus toward the fifth and final trailhead, Agility, as he interviews Dr. McKinley, the author of the book that inspired the series.

Agility is more than a leadership skill, it’s a survival trait for the uncertain, complex world we’re all navigating. In this candid conversation, Dr. McKinley unpacks what it means to stay grounded while everything around you shifts. Together, they explore how resilient leaders develop “a mind like water”: fluid, responsive, and calm under pressure.

If you’ve ever been knocked off course by uncertainty, change, or internal chaos, this trailhead offers a way back to solid ground.