Beyond the Scoreboard: Embracing Obedience Over Winning

Dan Stichter, President of OrthoLazer, embodies a powerful truth: true success isn't always measured by accolades or financial statements, but by a deeper commitment to obedience and kingdom impact. For Dan, a self-proclaimed competitive and analytical individual, this journey has been a continuous wrestling match between his innate drive to win and his calling to serve.

Raised in a Christian home, Dan's faith journey has matured from community involvement to a profound exploration of spiritual disciplines like fasting, silence, and solitude. He emphasizes that this deepening isn't about public display, but about genuine connection with God. This intentionality extends to his family life, where he and his wife operate on a philosophy of "guess and pray," striving to instill foundational habits in their children while acknowledging the messiness of real life.

Redefining Success in Business

In the business world, Dan's faith is transparent. He leads with integrity, clarity, and a deep care for his team. He believes that business, at its core, is a calling to provide income, stability, and meet community needs. "If you just provided work for 50 families and your business broke even, you did the Lord's work, and that's amazing," he states, challenging the conventional metrics of success.

Dan openly shares his biggest challenge: his competitive nature. While it has fueled his achievements, he constantly guards against it becoming unhealthy. He recounts the struggle of comparing himself to others on platforms like LinkedIn, reminding himself that God's call for his life is unique and not about outperforming others. This internal battle highlights a crucial insight: leveraging our strengths for good while ensuring they don't overshadow our true purpose.

Leading with Intentional Presence

His unique management approach, dubbed "management by walking around with a purpose," involves intentionally visiting every bathroom in the building at least once a week. This seemingly unconventional practice forces him into different areas of the business, fostering interactions with staff he might otherwise miss. It's a testament to his commitment to knowing and caring for his team, even when difficult business decisions must be made. He strives to be a "benevolent dictator" – a leader who is decisive and provides clear vision, yet is incredibly thoughtful, kind, and generous to those he leads.

Obedience Over Perfection

Dan's ultimate lesson revolves around the fallacy of perfection and the profound value of obedience. He, a man who believes there's a mathematical answer for everything, has learned that A + B doesn't always equal C in life. "It's good to have a plan, it's good to work as if it's up to you, but praises be to the Lord," he reflects. He's learning to ask, "What's the obedient thing to do?" rather than "What will help me win?" This shift in perspective is challenging for someone driven by quantifiable success, but it's where true kingdom impact lies.

He shares a poignant story of a past business venture he deemed a "failure" because it didn't yield the expected financial or spiritual outcomes. Yet, a letter from a staff member revealed the profound, unseen impact he had on her faith journey. This experience reshaped his understanding of success, demonstrating that God's blessings often come in intangible forms, revealed not on a scoreboard, but in the quiet ripple effects of obedience. For Dan, the journey is about trusting God's plan, even when the immediate results aren't what he anticipated, and embracing the truth that sometimes, the most meaningful impacts are the ones we can't measure.