These weren’t words drawn from a fleeting moment of reflection. They are the residue of a quiet war between what I believe and what I once hesitated to reveal
When I spoke of leaders, I wasn’t referring to those who were spotlighted from the start. I meant those compelled by an inner force not an outer recognition to step out of silence. Light, as I see it, does not create the leader; it merely exposes the one bold enough to bear their vision, unpolished and raw, before the eyes of others Emergence is not an event. It’s a decision. A moment when you no longer seek to be unseen, even if it means being misunderstood
A leader is not born beneath the spotlight. They are shaped in unseen corners, where vision is still fragile and the message not yet complete. And yet they rise Not because they’ve arrived, but because they’ve chosen not to hide
I’ve stood there between the comfort of invisibility and the tension of visibility. It’s not a comfortable place. To carry your vision into the open is to risk everything: your certainty, your image, your peace. It’s to show up without applause, and to be willing to be read not always rightly
But here’s what I’ve learned : no one carries light unless they are first willing to be seen in their own darkness So if you seek to lead, don’t wait for the spotlight Ask yourself instead: Can I be faithful enough to my vision to carry it, even when no one claps ? If your answer is yes… the light will come. But only after you