Owning my leadership
The Risk I Didn’t See Coming
I thought I was a bold leader until a leadership assessment told me otherwise. It said I needed to take more risks. My first reaction? That’s ridiculous. I take risks every day. High-stakes decisions, leading teams, big campaigns. I was constantly pushing boundaries.
Or so I thought.
The Wake-Up Call
I was in a new role when the company conducted a leadership assessment as part of training and team-building. I expected it to confirm what I already knew about myself, but instead, it revealed something I hadn’t fully realized. The company was undergoing massive changes, and I walked into an environment where everything felt in flux. My instinct? Tread carefully, learn the landscape, prove my value before pushing too hard.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I had already earned my place at the table. They hired me for a reason. They trusted me to do the job. But in those early days, I lost sight of that.
I was thrown off my game because they believed in me more than I believed in myself. Honestly, I never "clicked" with that job. I never quite believed I could do it, and every chance I took seemed to be the wrong one. I was stressed, demoralized, and when it finally ended, I felt an unexpected relief. That moment of relief told me everything. I had been fighting myself the whole time. If I had trusted my instincts, I could have shaped the role instead of shrinking within it. Believing in myself would have made all the difference.
The Risk Wasn’t External—It Was Internal
The biggest risk wasn’t strategy or execution. It was trusting myself. It was trusting myself. I was waiting for permission that no one was going to give—because no one thought I needed it.
What’s funny is that I’ve always told my team, "Don’t ask permission to do your job."
But in that job, I did the opposite. I second-guessed myself, hesitated, and played small. And as a result, I never made the impact I was capable of making.
Leadership isn’t about waiting to be validated. It’s about owning your expertise, stepping into your role with conviction, and recognizing that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
What I Learned
Confidence isn’t a prerequisite—it’s built through action and repeated courage.
You don’t need permission to lead—you need to own your impact.
If people believe in you, trust that belief—because doubt only holds you back.
Have you ever held yourself back, waiting for permission that was never coming? What helped you break through?