The work beneath the work

The same leadership reminder in three different forms.

June is here in all her glory: it’s pouring rain as I write this, soccer is in full swing, my kids are getting ready for final exams and we’re prepping for a bucket list trip to Italy in a few short weeks.

And if you’ve been following along, I’m at the mid-point of our 🌳 Root to Branch series, looking at the elements of sustainable ambition.

This week, I kept noticing the same theme showing up in different places.

So today, I’d like to share three leadership reminders from it.

Don’t wait for permission to lead

On a recent coaching call, a client shared her disappointment after learning she likely wouldn’t get a senior leadership role she’d been hoping for.

She’d put herself forward. She knew it would be a stretch. And while her leadership team saw a ton of potential, they didn’t feel she was quite ready yet.

The disappointment sat between us for a moment.

We both acknowledged how hard it is to want something you’ve been working hard toward, only to realize it’s not going to happen — at least not yet.

No amount of “It is what it is,” was going to make it all better for her.

But it’s what she said next that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

She looked up at me, smiled and said:

“Listen, this sucks. But I’m going to focus on our work together and doing whatever I can to become the best leader possible where I am.”

This, my friends, is leadership.

Instead of dwelling in the disappointment or berating herself for not being further ahead, she’s using it as an opportunity to build her influence, hone her communication skills and cultivate care and trust with the team she does lead.

Too often, we treat leadership as something that begins after the promotion, after the big break or after someone gives us permission.

But leadership doesn’t start then.

It starts with how we show up right now.
Today. Tomorrow. A week from Tuesday.

Your ability to lead isn’t waiting somewhere in the future.

It’s right here, where you are, with what you have.

Use it well.

Leadership is a practice, not a position.

It’s not only about our ambition or stepping into a big opportunity.

It’s also about what we choose to focus on.

The recognition is nice, but it’s not the work

Yesterday morning I woke up to a notification that Leaders in Progress (this newsletter) was on the Rising Business list on Substack.

It felt good — really good. I’ve been working hard to show up consistently here, even when life is full and my words don’t come easily.

Then today, as I sat down to write this, I checked again and it was gone.

Had I not taken a screenshot, I’d almost think I’d imagined it all. 😵‍💫

Was I disappointed? Of course.

It was also an important reminder that rewards and recognition come and go. Rankings change. Algorithms…well, who the hell knows how they work.

But the work remains.

Showing up, day after day, bringing our best for the people we serve. That’s what matters.

The recognition is nice, but it’s really not the point.

All three reminders point to the same truth.

Leadership isn’t something we wait for: not by an executive team, an algorithm or a change to our business card.

And it isn’t something we only demonstrate when things are going well and our way.

It’s something we choose to do and it’s who we choose to be.

In the big, proud moments and in the quiet, disappointing ones too.

It’s how we keep going, even when it’s hard, even when we can’t see the path ahead clearly and even when the recognition and rewards all but disappear.

The work remains. And so do we.

Keep going.

If you want to go deeper into what that looks like in practice,
The Ambition Edit drops soon for paid subscribers — a guided self-assessment to help you take stock of what you’re carrying, what’s draining you and what’s ready to grow next.