“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water” ~Rabindranath Tagore
Years ago I developed a Leadership Self-Assessment Tool. It addresses the 5 styles of leadership I have seen over the past 30 years. Creative Leader, Team, Supportive, Visionary, & Organizational Leaders. Each has a unique set of skills, vulnerabilities and predispositions to particular diseases based on their stress patterns.
One style of leader, the more creative, thought, or visionary leader, discovers perhaps more than others that success often comes with a hidden cost: stepping away from what you’ve built. For those of us who have founded more than one company, the greatest danger isn’t in the unknown as I have spoken about the last few weeks—it’s in staying tethered to what no longer serves our growth. It is not uncommon for a business you founded to feel like your “baby.” You nursed it into existence, gave up so much to see it grow, and only brought in those who loved it as well. Letting go is painful.
Whether you are closing down or selling, the end result is that it is no longer yours. It and you have moved on. Consequently, the biggest transitions begin not with external shifts, but with internal breakthroughs. They are what give you the permission needed to separate from your “baby.” The external exchange only occurs once that happens even if in the process you are feeling a push/pull urge in the releasing. The key to assist you is in reframing the letting go as a call or invitation to evolve.
The 3 Hidden Invitations:
- Reclaiming Your Identity Beyond the Titles or Roles You Have Carried:
Ask yourself: Who are you beyond the business card? My fear and confusion in closing my largest company came in “Who was I if not an educator, and a healer? Who would I be in the world? What purpose, if any, would I have? How would I know?” Little did I realize I was only beginning… - Discovering the Power of Letting Go:
What you fear losing may actually be the very thing holding you back. Letting go isn’t a loss—it’s liberation. I had known for a while it was time to let go yet what would I hold onto next? Consequently, I held on too long in fear of the unknown. - Embracing the Freedom of Uncertainty:
I learned the unknown isn’t a void; it’s a canvas. Every meaningful reinvention begins with the courage to paint a new vision, one brushstroke at a time. A whole new world opens up. One you never could have imagined.
Reflection Exercise:
- Write down three things you’ve been holding on to that feel “safe.”
- Now ask: What might open up if I chose freedom over familiarity?
- Imagine the leader you could become if you didn’t let fear define your decisions.
Growth is waiting, but it requires a choice to step into the discomfort of transition and trust that the next version of your life and leadership will be even more extraordinary. The comfort zone is a mirage. Real power comes when you lead boldly, live authentically, and step into your fullest potential. The question isn’t if you’re ready—it’s whether you’re willing. We never get the calling unless we are ready. Call me when you need help getting there!!
