Let Go to Lead Well

Reflections inspired from my memoir 'Bending Without Breaking' Part B

Jun 22, 2025

Credibility is not claimed but cultivated—through humility in uncertainty, wisdom from missteps, courage at the edge of comfort, and a quiet consistency that aligned values with action and empowered others to lead.

We trace the slow, intentional work of building credibility—not through authority, but through authenticity, humility, and earned trust. Missteps become teachers, discomfort marks the path to growth, and influence deepens in quiet, consistent presence. Leadership emerges not by asserting control, but by empowering others and aligning action with values. True credibility is forged in the unseen moments—where listening matters more than speaking, and where integrity becomes the foundation for lasting impact.

Entering the Field

Unfamiliar roads—
Humility learns to lead
Where maps fade to trust.

Stepping into fieldwork stripped away certainty. Theories unraveled in the face of lived reality, where listening mattered more than knowing. Cultural humility became the true compass—guiding through emotional complexity and challenging assumptions. By embracing unfamiliarity, I began to lead not by expertise, but by empathy. Transformation emerged not from control, but from standing still long enough to truly see those I was called to serve.

Assumption’s Price

Missteps mark the trail,
Assumptions burned into ash—
Wisdom grows from flame.

Mistakes taught more than preparation ever could. In moments of misunderstanding and unmet expectations, assumptions fell away like ash, revealing hard-earned clarity. Every failure in collaboration uncovered blind spots I didn’t know I had. The pain of error was not wasted—it reoriented my leadership toward humility and listening. Real growth didn’t come from avoiding missteps, but from allowing them to sharpen my awareness and deepen my respect.

Edge of Becoming

Courage steps forward,
Growth starts at edge of comfort,
New sense of calling.

Crossing borders, both literal and internal, redefined what it meant to lead. I stepped into a role that challenged every part of me, and found that courage wasn’t the absence of fear—but movement through it. This discomfort stretched my worldview and clarified my convictions. A new calling emerged, not rooted in ambition, but in alignment. What once felt like risk became a threshold for becoming something more whole, more true.

Leading Through Trust

Control loosens grip—
In trust, tangled paths unfold—
Others rise and lead.

The urge to control gave way to the necessity of trust. Leading within complex systems demanded patience and the ability to empower others even when outcomes were uncertain. Success didn’t look like a tidy outcome, but like shared ownership. When I stepped back, others stepped forward with strength and insight I hadn’t seen before. Trust wasn’t the risk—it was the path to resilience, clarity, and genuine transformation in community.

Quiet Influence

Find your voice at work,
Reshape organisations,
To lead from within.

I found that speaking with quiet conviction could be more powerful than dominating the room. Influence came through listening well, aligning actions with purpose, and letting integrity speak louder than ego. Over time, this steady presence reshaped systems around me. I didn’t need to lead from the top to lead well. Change began with authenticity—grounded in relationships, carried by trust, and expressed through a voice that honoured both truth and timing.

Success, Unforced

Rooted in your truth,
Let the work reflect your core—
Success grows unforced.

Success stopped being something to chase when I began to live and lead from my core. Instead of striving for approval, I focused on contribution—bringing curiosity, creativity, and care into each space. In doing so, opportunities found me. Environments that welcomed authenticity allowed me to thrive. True success became less about recognition and more about resonance—about doing work that honoured my values and allowed others to do the same.

The Gift of Release

Let go, move forward,
Success invites transition,
Just open your hands.

Holding on to what once worked can keep us from what’s next. I learned that letting go—even of success—requires courage and clarity. Closure became sacred when approached with gratitude, not resistance. In the emptying came readiness; in the space between endings and beginnings, new possibilities waited. Releasing wasn’t giving up—it was growing up. Trusting that what was built would endure, I opened my hands to receive whatever the next chapter would ask of me.

Published June 22, 2025