Leadership as a Survival Skill

"It’s not about being fearless. It’s about taking action despite your fears."

– Sheryl Sandberg

When leadership becomes non-negotiable

Leadership is often framed as the ability to guide others, but at its core, it’s a survival skill—an essential capability to navigate and shape your own life. Whether or not you lead a team or a large group, you are always tasked with leading yourself. And if you’re a parent, leadership becomes non-negotiable. Your children look to you for guidance, and whether you’re ready or not, you’re setting an example every day.

If you don’t lead your own life, you surrender control to external factors—letting circumstances, other people’s opinions, or fleeting emotions dictate your happiness and growth. When that happens, you lose agency. Leadership, then, begins with reclaiming that control, with showing up for yourself.

Leading through time: the versions of you

Leadership means acknowledging and embracing the many versions of yourself. There’s the nine-year-old boy with big dreams, the fifteen-year-old who made that pivotal mistake, the young adult who suffered a devastating loss, and the weathered version of you who endured life’s storms, bearing scars but emerging stronger. Each of these versions lives within you, shaping who you are today.

When you stand in front of the mirror, you’re not just looking at the person you are now—you’re seeing the culmination of all these experiences. Leadership means making peace with those past selves. It’s about learning from their failures, carrying their wisdom forward, and forgiving their missteps. Progress, not perfection, is the goal—aspiring to become a better version of yourself every day, while accepting that you’ll never be flawless.

Taking the reins of your life

If you don’t learn to lead yourself, fear, doubt, and external influences will take over. Mentors and supportive people can help along the way, but the real leader—the one who holds the reins—is the version of you staring back in the mirror right now. That person must take the lead in writing the next chapter of your story.

You don’t need to manage a team or change the world to practice leadership. But you do need to lead yourself—to stand up against shame, doubt, and resentment and choose to live authentically. Leadership is about recognizing that you are not only the main character of your life story but also its writer and director.

Dare to lead

"Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."

– Zoey Sayward

Dare to lead the life you’ve always wanted, one day, one moment at a time. It starts with a single acknowledgment: the power to create, to grow, and to thrive has always been within you. Leadership, at its essence, is the art of taking responsibility for your own journey—not just surviving but thriving in the face of life’s challenges. The next chapter is yours to write. Take the pen and lead.