A few years ago, a series of commercials featured "Captain Obvious," a character who would warmly and humorously point out things so blatant, so wonderfully right under our noses, that they had somehow become invisible. The ads struck a chord because they captured something deeply human: our tendency to overlook the simple truths right in front of us while searching for complex solutions.

Captain Obvious commercial, screenshot from Pinterest.

My quintessential Captain Obvious moment took place during my sophomore year of college. I was stressing about finding a roommate for the next year, determined to attend the upcoming "roommate fair" on campus. My friend and I walked across the campus green one day, strategizing our approach to this event, when my then-boyfriend casually mentioned from behind us, "You know, you two should just room with each other."

We stopped walking. Looked at each other. Shrugged.

"You wanna?"

"Sure. You wanna?"

"Sure."

Just like that, I found my best friend for life. Sometimes the best solutions are hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone to shine a light on them. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

It seems to me that we’re in a place of needing our own Captain Obviouses right now. Friends or trusted advisors who can point out or affirm what is right there, right in front of us and yet we may not see it.

Life preserver is right there, in reach. Obviously.

Why Don’t We Always Notice The Obvious?

Being human means sometimes missing what's right in front of us for a few key reasons:

Tunnel Vision: We fixate on the problem itself, making potential solutions seem fuzzy or out of reach.

Learned Helplessness: We assume things are just the way they are, surrendering our power to external forces. “They” will fix it—or maybe no one will.

Fear of Change: Deep down, we may sense a different pathway exists, but trying it means risking failure, bruising our egos, or realizing we were wrong.

You Have Choices (Even When It Doesn’t Feel Like It)

Here’s the truth: We choose how we respond. My teenager doesn’t like hearing this, and you may not either. But it’s reality.

Some of us have more choices than others, but every one of us makes moment-by-moment decisions about how we engage with the world. When the rain is pelting down, collapsing your umbrella, you can’t pretend it’s sunny–but you can choose how you dance through the storm.

We are in a storm right now–with another one brewing on the horizon. (Thank you, Captain Obvious).

And yet, even in a storm, we have choices. Beautiful, powerful, transformative choices.

The Shape of This Storm

At this time of year, living in Maine, we pay close attention to the weather channels, glued to the radar of predicted storms. The kids banking on tomorrow’s snow day, my husband readying the snowblower, and me flipping through cookbooks for our snowed-in feast.

If you haven’t been here, all I can say is that winter in Maine looks a whole lot different than summer in Maine.

Similarly, the world we're navigating now is not the world we knew just a few years ago. We're in what leadership folks call a VUCA vortex—Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Just another way to say "everything feels a little crazy right now."

VUCA times call for a different kind of leadership. A warmer, more human kind of leadership.

These times call for your leadership.

Your Light Matters (Yes, You're a Leader)

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a leader. But, here’s the thing–if you care, if you sense that things could be otherwise, could be better, then this moment is calling you. Not necessarily to take a stand, lead a protest, or make a speech. But to be more fully, authentically, courageously yourself.

To paraphrase Marianne Williamson:

We are all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us—it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we give others permission to do the same.

Leadership in VUCA Times: A Heart-Centered Approach

If you've embraced your leadership role (whether you call it that or not), I have news for you – both good and challenging.

The good news: You already have everything you need inside you. (An aside: for years, we offered a leadership program called “What You Need is Here”--the ‘here’ being already inside you.) Now, the challenging part: Traditional leadership approaches were designed for calmer seas. Right now, we need something different.

Here's what you can do right now, right where you are:

Hold Strong: Root yourself in what matters most to you. Turn down the noise of the world. Guard your goodness like the treasure it is.
Be a Haven: Create spaces where others can find connection and support. Focus on your immediate sphere – your family, your neighborhood, your workplace. Make it a little warmer, a little kinder, a little more human.
Trust Your Knowing: We don't have time to research everything to death. Trust that you know enough to take the next right step. Notice what's working, even in small ways, and build on that.

Your Storm Navigation Kit

Lean into these capacities right now to help you weather the storm.

Center. Persist. Stay focused. Anchor yourself in your core purpose.
Notice. Observe how you feel. Spot exceptions to the norm. Shine a light on them.
Wonder. Stay curious. Ask more what, who, when, where, and how questions—skip the why.
Invite. Bring people together. Create moments of connection. Share warmth.
Welcome. Stay open to joy. Look for ways to share power. Build bridges.

Your Next Right Step

Remember this: You are the captain of your own ship. Every storm has an end. You are surrounded by fellow travelers.

Most importantly, you don't have to figure it all out alone. The next right step is often smaller and simpler than we think. Sometimes it's as obvious as looking at the friend walking beside you and saying, "Hey, want to do this together?"

Want to explore these ideas with others navigating similar waters? Join us at learn.developmentwithoutlimits.org/course/comeback where we're building a community of thoughtful leaders like you.

Thank You, Captain Obvious. Here’s the Leadership We Need Right Now.