Leadership Lessons that Built Sheep Dog Impact Assistance from CEO & Founder Lance Nutt
At Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, leadership is not a theory. It is lived, field-tested, and refined under pressure.
We are proud to launch a new content series: SgtMaj Takeaways featuring leadership lessons from SDIA CEO & Founder Lance Nutt. These reflections are drawn from decades of military leadership and the real-world building of a national nonprofit serving veterans and first responders.
This series begins with a simple farmyard story and a not-so-simple truth.
The Mousetrap Lesson: Why Leadership Is Everyone’s Responsibility
A mouse spots a mousetrap in the house and warns the chicken, the pig, and the cow.
Each responds the same way in different words:
“That’s not my problem.”
Until it is.
When the trap snaps, a chain of events unfolds. The snake bites. The farmer’s wife falls ill. The chicken becomes soup. The pig feeds the visitors. The cow feeds the mourners. What seemed like one small threat ripples outward until it touches everyone.
The lesson is sharp and clear:
When one of us is at risk, we are all at risk.
Leadership is not about rank. It is about ownership.
What This Means for SDIA Leadership
At SDIA, we do not operate in silos. Outdoor Adventures, Warrior PATHH, Disaster Response, Heroes Ranch operations, donor relations, volunteers, staff, and ambassadors. Every part affects the whole.
If a Sheep Dog is struggling, that is not “someone else’s lane.”
If funding tightens, that is not “finance’s problem.”
If morale dips, that is not “leadership’s job alone.”
The mousetrap principle applies to organizations as much as farmyards.
Strong teams recognize that:
- Problems ignored become crises shared
- Accountability avoided becomes a consequence multiplied
- Culture unattended becomes a mission weakened
Leadership requires awareness beyond your own post.
Building a Culture of Shared Responsibility
The foundation of SDIA was built on a simple belief: we look out for each other.
That belief shows up in:
- Peer-led Post-Traumatic Growth programming through Warrior PATHH
- Service-driven reconnection in Outdoor Adventures
- Boots-on-ground action in Disaster Response Missions
- The expanding impact of Heroes Ranch
Every pillar strengthens the others.
When one area grows, the whole mission grows. When one area struggles, the whole mission feels it.
This is not fragility. It is interdependence. It is the strength of a woven tapestry. Every thread matters.
SgtMaj Takeaway #1
Leadership is not about staying in your lane. It is about protecting the whole road.
If you see a mousetrap, speak up.
If you hear concern, lean in.
If you spot weakness, reinforce it.
We are all connected in this journey called life and service. That connection is not sentimental. It is strategic.
The next time you are tempted to think, “That does not concern me,” remember the farmyard.
At SDIA, we do not leave the mouse alone.
Follow along as we continue the SgtMaj Takeaways series, sharing leadership insights that have shaped Sheep Dog Impact Assistance into a national movement of connection, accountability, and Post-Traumatic Growth.