The Power In Showing Up | Volume 1, Edition 3

In this edition of Lead Anew: Insights and Growth, I’m reflecting on a pivotal decision I made during my second season. It involved leaving a job that didn’t align with my true self, despite lacking a clear next step. While it wasn’t a graceful departure, it was honest. And that honesty became the catalyst that ignited a much more fulfilling path.I didn’t leave that job with confidence in my stride or certainty in my heart. Instead, I left with a lump in my throat, a pit in my stomach, and a quiet, trembling courage that whispered, “You deserve better than this.” It wasn’t a pleasant day, but it was a powerful one, and I’m proud of every shaky step I took.

For months, I had known that the role wasn’t right. I felt it in the tightness in my chest before each shift, in the way my values clashed with the culture, and in the growing silence between me and the parts of myself I was losing. But I stayed, out of fear, out of habit, and out of the deeply human desire not to be labeled a quitter.

On the day I walked away, I had no offer in hand, no safety net beyond my own self-respect. But something in me finally said, “Enough.” And as uncertain as that moment was, it was the first time in months that I could breathe. The second I stepped away from what wasn’t meant for me, I stepped back into myself.

There’s this myth that bravery looks bold and effortless. But sometimes, it looks like tears on your steering wheel, like a resignation letter drafted a dozen times, or like choosing discomfort over dishonesty with yourself. That day, I didn’t know what was coming next, but I knew staying meant betraying my own voice.

Since then, every opportunity that has aligned with my purpose has come because I made space for it. Leaving that job was less about walking away and more about walking toward something better, even if I couldn’t see it yet. Sometimes, the leap comes before the landing.

I’ve learned that imperfect action is still action. That walking away without a map is sometimes the most faithful thing you can do. That leadership starts with how we lead ourselves through uncertainty. And that some of the strongest steps we ever take are the ones no one sees but us.

You don’t need to know the next step to take the right one. Show up for yourself, choose what aligns with you, and trust that grace follows every courageous exit. Keep leading anew. 

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