The Work That Comes Before the Title

Leadership Is Not Announced

There is a version of leadership that happens quietly.

It does not start with a promotion. It starts with noticing something is not working and deciding to care enough to fix it.

My conversation with Michelle Serna reminded me how often we think recognition validates leadership. In reality, leadership usually shows up in the work long before anyone names it.

She described building roles that did not exist. But what struck me was not the boldness of that move. It was the discipline behind it. She proved value first. She built trust. She earned the space to formalize what she was already doing.

That reframed something for me.

Trust Before Authority

She kept coming back to political trust.

Have you earned enough trust to propose it?

That question lingers. Not because it is intimidating, but because it is honest.

Influence is not about visibility. It is about reliability. It is about showing up repeatedly and solving problems without needing applause. When you do that long enough, your voice carries weight.

I have been thinking about where I am building trust quietly in my own work. And where I may need to build more before asking for expansion.

Growth Requires Release

We also talked about something that rarely gets airtime. Letting go of what you built.

There is a certain pride in creating something from nothing. But growth demands surrender. You cannot scale if you insist on owning every decision.

That part challenged me.

It is easier to start something new than to release control of something you already built. Yet that is often the next evolution.

Burnout Is a Signal, Not a Weakness

We also acknowledged burnout. Not in a dramatic way. In a realistic one.

High achievers rarely stop. We just keep going until our body tells us otherwise.

Her reminder that they are not doing open heart surgery grounded the entire conversation. Perspective matters. Urgency is not the same as importance.

I am learning that margin is strategic. Rest is not indulgent. Saying no creates space to lead well.

Community Is the Multiplier

The strongest thread in this episode was not independence. It was community.

She talked about the importance of having people who tell you to take PTO. People who remind you who you are when you forget. People who let you say things out loud while you are still forming the thought.

Leadership can feel lonely. It does not have to be.

And that might be the most important lesson of all.

You can watch the episode HERE on YouTube