The Weight of Secrets: Why Leaders Need Vulnerability
By Jimmy Dodd
EDITORIAL
Backstage | Jimmy Dodd
When was the last time you had a conversation with a trusted friend that began, “I’ve never told anyone about this, but …”? Is there a risk in sharing such a secret? Of course. And yet, the reward is worth the risk.
Take professional golfer Gary Woodland for example. He won his first PGA title in 2011. Other wins were a warmup to the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he won the championship by three shots.
But life took a tragic turn in August 2023 when Woodland announced that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The next month he underwent successful surgery (the tumor was benign) and returned to play on the PGA Tour four months later.
What few knew was that post-surgery Woodland was battling fear, anxiety, hypervigilance, overstimulation—post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Sometimes he would stand over a shot and suddenly forget what club he was hitting. At times, he would break down and weep. Other days, he would beg his faithful friend and caddy Butchie to let him walk off the course.
On March 9, 2026, Woodland asked to sit for an interview with Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel in which he shared his challenges with the world. The truths he shared about the weight of carrying secrets is something that every leader needs to hear:
“A year ago, I was diagnosed with PTSD, and it’s been hard. It’s a battle I didn’t understand. I can’t expend energy anymore hiding this… Inside I feel like I’m dying. I feel like I’m living a lie, and I don’t want to waste energy on that anymore… I just can’t hide it anymore. I don’t want to live that way anymore… You can’t do this on your own, no matter how strong you think you are…”
A mere two weeks after the interview, Woodland won Texas Children’s Houston Open Championship by a whopping five shots. While playing in Houston, he reflected on the interview he had given two weeks earlier: “I literally feel like I got a thousand pounds off my back that day.”
What are your secrets? An addiction to alcohol, pain killers, porn or gambling? Others may carry the weight of an emotional affair or an imbalanced addiction to work, money or success.
Far too many pastors and ministry leaders are being crushed by the weight of secrets. Amazingly, by sharing the secret with just one person, a significant portion of the guilt and shame is lifted. The shackles of secrecy are broken and the captive is free. In the words of Jesus, “The truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).
