Living Leadership that Fits

There are seasons when leadership is obvious.

A title is given. A decision is public. A role is clearly defined. People know who is “in charge.”

And then there are seasons – often longer ones – when leadership is quieter and harder to name.

When it looks like showing up prepared.
Like noticing what others miss.
Like staying present when something is unfinished or uncertain.
Like choosing alignment over urgency, again and again.

This series begins with my simple belief: leadership is not something we step into once we have the right role, confidence, or clarity. Leadership is something we hold – often long before we name it as such.

I believe that leadership begins within. When we show up in alignment with who we are – connected to what matters most – we are already leading. Not because of authority or responsibility, but because alignment shapes how we listen, decide, follow through, and care.

From that place, leadership moves outward.

It influences how teams function.
How families navigate change.
How committees make decisions.
How cultures are shaped over time.

Leadership, held this way, is not about doing more or becoming someone else. It is not about performing confidence or having all the answers. It is about living leadership that fits – leadership that feels sustainable, humane, and true to who you are.

This series grows out of the series last fall where I explored leadership as a journey – one shaped by intention, companions, surprise, and direction. What I loved most about that series was the way it invited reflection without rushing to conclusions. Writing it reminded me that leadership is rarely linear, and almost never tidy.

Leadership, Held will continue that conversation.

Here, we’ll explore leadership not as a destination, but as a lived practice. We’ll name the quiet work and the unseen moments that carry real weight. We’ll pay attention to the everyday decisions that shape people and purpose – often without recognition or applause.

At the heart of this series is a simple practice we’ll return to again and again: holding space.

Holding space is not fixing.
It is not controlling.
It is not rushing toward resolution.

Holding space is staying present.
It is listening without preparing your response.
It is creating room for growth, clarity, and becoming – both for others and for yourself.

Leadership, as I understand it, is the practice of showing up in alignment with who you are, holding space for people and purpose.

You don’t need a title to begin.
You don’t need certainty to lead.

Leadership may already be in your hands – quietly held, and ready to be lived.

This week, notice where you are holding space.
For a person.
For a conversation.
For yourself.