Leadership

Looking back at the presidential inauguration, we got to see so many displays of leadership.  Not only was leadership displayed through our political leaders, including the first female Vice President, but also through people like inaugural poet Amanda Gorman.  I wonder if Gorman knew the impact she would have on so many.  Going into the inauguration, all the talk was about VP Harris (rightfully so) and today, it is both women who are continuing to make headlines.  Both of these women have worked very hard and continue to break barriers, and for that, I am grateful.  

Have you thought about how you might be a leader in your life?  What barriers are you breaking, even if they are only your own belief barriers?  I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for how important we are as leaders, whether in our own immediate families, our places of work, our community of friends, or beyond.

Podcast and Hidden Gem guest Carylee Carrington has been called the “accidental author.” That got me thinking; perhaps many of us are “accidental leaders.”  Or rather, we didn’t set out to be leaders, but our life experience and newfound insights and wisdom positioned us to be leaders to others. Perhaps it is through living our life, in the light, and by sharing our story, even if it’s with just one person, that we can be true leaders.  

You cannot lead where you have not gone.  My podcast started in 2019 under the theory that life was better when we lived in the light.  2020 was the year that my theory was put to the test.  I am grateful to say that I believe even more strongly in my mission to help connect people and encourage a life of vulnerability, authenticity, healing, and growth.  

I am so grateful for women like Harris and Gorman who are shattering glass ceilings, shining their lights, and helping others rise up.  Our individual leadership will look different. My passion for change, and for leadership, is about hearts.  Perhaps, those accolades don’t always show up on paper.  Maybe yours will not either.  We shouldn’t grow weary or lose heart if that’s true, though, because we may never be aware of our true accolades and the lives we have changed.  So, I will continue to pursue my passion, and I encourage all of you to do the same.  I may not break any glass ceilings, but if I’m making a difference in my own life through those passions, I’m making my family’s life, my friends’ lives, and my community better in the process, too.

This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.