Where Am I Now?
Leadership Begins Before Anyone Follows
One of the first questions we will explore in the Momentum leadership journey is deceptively simple:
Where am I now?
Many of us spend our time focused on where we want to go. We set goals, create plans, and think about the future. Yet leadership growth often begins with something more foundational: an honest assessment of our current reality.
Recently, I challenged people I work with to reflect on four questions. As I spent time answering them myself, I discovered that the process revealed both areas of growth and areas where I still need courage.
My Honest Answers
What pressures or expectations feel strongest in your life right now?
The most dangerous pressures often come from within—the unspoken expectations that shape our thoughts, decisions, and responses.
For me, one of the greatest pressures is the fear of being visible and having a voice. Visibility brings responsibility. It requires courage to step forward, share what matters, and overcome the reluctance that so often whispers, "Stay hidden, stay small, stay safe!"
What decisions about your future feel important but unclear at this stage?
It can be challenging to carry a vision.
As someone who naturally thinks about the future, I have many goals and ideas I want to pursue. Yet the path forward is not always obvious. Sometimes the possibilities feel exciting; other times, they feel overwhelming.
I am learning that overthinking can make the next step seem less clear than it really is.
Where do you currently feel confident in yourself?
At 46, I am becoming more comfortable in my own skin.
This life season has brought physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual changes. I am learning to embrace the grey hairs and the ageing process, recognising that every experience, my successes and raw failures, has woven threads of wisdom into my story.
Perhaps confidence is not about having all the answers, but about becoming more at peace with who you are - every story has value!
Where do you most wish you had more clarity, direction, or confidence?
I want greater confidence to move forward with the dreams I am carrying.
It is often easier to encourage others to pursue their calling than it is to pursue our own. Yet leadership requires integrity between what we teach and how we live.
I want to keep taking steps forward, not because I have everything figured out, but because I want to authentically walk out the journey of growth, courage, and purpose that I encourage in others. (So much easier said than done!)
My Realisation
As I reflected on these questions, I was reminded that leadership is not primarily about positions, responsibilities, or influence. It begins with self-awareness.
Understanding the pressures we carry, the decisions we face, the confidence we possess, and the areas where we still need growth creates a foundation for authentic leadership.
For me, one recurring theme emerged: the tension between carrying a vision and having the courage to step fully into it. It is often easier to encourage others to pursue their dreams than it is to pursue our own. Yet leadership requires us to live what we teach.
The journey forward does not always begin with a detailed plan. Sometimes it begins with an honest answer to a simple question:
Where are YOU now?
I invite you to spend a few moments reflecting on your own answer.
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