A Thanksgiving Reflection on Change
A Mantra for Change in the Season of Change
Originally published on LinkedIn, November 25, 2025
November 25, 2025
Change has a way of testing us, shaping us, and ultimately clarifying who we are. As I look back on the journey I have been on, I am reminded that every experience, no matter how challenging or immediately confronting, carries a blessing in disguise. Some lessons arrive wrapped in success. Others arrive wrapped in adversity. All of them arrive with purpose, each one contributing to the person and leader I continue to become.
I have long kept a simple note on my desk and mirror, a daily reminder of the mindset I aim to bring into every leadership role. It reinforces the idea that while I may step into challenging situations, my responsibility is to approach them with clarity, steadiness, and purpose. That small note has become a grounding force over the years, especially in the moments when leadership feels lonely or the path forward feels uphill.
Stewardship is always temporary, particularly in environments undergoing transformation. Sometimes you are brought in to rebuild a brand. Sometimes the task is to stabilize the finances. Other times, the job is to change a culture that has resisted change for far too long. These are concepts that are not foreign to me. I have been here before, and it is why, as an agent of change, you must be firmly rooted in your core values. I am in mine: family, faith, integrity. Those are my true north, the compass points that center my judgment and sustain my resolve. That is the mantra of the turnaround executive. You step into complexity, knowing that the work is difficult and the horizon is uncertain.
Through every chapter of this broader journey, I have learned a great deal. I poured myself into the opportunities I was given and gave them everything I had. Like all meaningful seasons, they also asked something of me in return. Yet when I zoom out and study the full arc, I find perspective. Time has a way of revealing the purpose behind each period of growth. It shows trajectory, intent, and impact in ways that the moment itself sometimes cannot.
A mentor once told me that when the work you are trying to elevate begins to reshape you in ways that are misaligned with your values, it is time to reflect and consider a new direction. That wisdom stayed with me. It helped me understand that even with the best intentions, certain environments shift, evolve, or reach natural limits. Leaders know that culture and readiness determine what becomes possible. When progress reaches a point of diminishing return, it becomes an invitation to chart the next horizon with clarity and optimism.
Now, as I turn the page and begin a new chapter, I do so with clarity and gratitude. I am thankful for my family, my health, my community, and the future that lies ahead. I am thankful for the lessons, even the hard ones. They sharpen understanding. They renew purpose. They prepare you for what is next.
This Thanksgiving, as many of us gather around the table with the people we love, I am reminded that our blessings run deeper than any title, any role, or any circumstance. We have our health, our families, and our livelihood. There are far worse things in life than the challenges that confront us. Perspective is a powerful anchor.
To everyone reading this, thank you for being part of my journey. I wish you and your families a peaceful and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday.
Onward.
© 2025 by Tenacity for Life Publications- All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Lou Sandoval is the Founder and Board Chair of HALO Advisory Group and the former President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. He is a seasoned board director, best selling author of Tenacity for Life™- The Book , and keynote speaker who advises organizations on growth, strategy, and technology driven transformation. An accomplished offshore sailor, he brings lessons from the water and the boardroom to help leaders navigate complexity and move their organizations forward.
