Decisions to be made Today & Tomorrow

Taking over a business doesn't arrive with fireworks and a marching band. There's no cinematic moment where everything snaps into focus. It shows up quietly — usually early in the morning — when you realize the decisions start before anyone else is awake and don't stop when the day ends.

People often assume leadership is about having the answers. In reality, it's about carrying the questions. A hundred of them, every single day. Some are small and operational. Others carry real consequences, and that can affect the entire company.

What surprises me the most isn't the pressure — it's actually the loneliness that can exist even when you're surrounded by incredible people. We have an amazing team with decades of experience. I have a coach and wife who is the best sounding board a spouse could ask for. Plenty of friends and former colleagues in the network to reach out to. And still, there are moments when the responsibility sits squarely on my shoulders. Not because others aren't willing to help — but because the final call, the accountability, the risk, the change that needs to be made is my call. It's not something I complain about. I chose this. I wanted it. But that doesn't make it easy.

I often refer to a normal working day as the Hulu TV show, "The Bear." In season one, they don't know what kind of "meat" will show up each morning. It's never the same with different cuts of beef, quality, and quantities. Yet, the Bear opens the door every morning and serves hundreds of loyal and happy customers in downtown Chicago. Whether you're making Italian beef sandwiches, selling a product or service, or shipping cargo, there will be problems you didn't plan for. You have to make it work.

At United Transportation, we are hellbent on service, every day, every minute. Our customer always deserves excellence. The team always deserves clarity. The operation still needs to run. So we adapt.

Leadership isn't loud. It's not performative. It's a series of quiet decisions made when no one's watching — decisions that shape outcomes long after the moment passes.

And tomorrow morning, when the doors open for business, we will see what showed up, and we will figure it out again. Not because it's easy, but because that's what ownership demands.