A few years ago, I looked completely fine.
People thought I had it all.
Sitting in the Assistant Head of School role.
Showing up.
Delivering.
Saying yes.
Taking on more.
But underneath it all, I was running on empty.
Nobody could tell.
And that was exactly the problem.
I'd gotten very good at performing.
So when I made the decision to walk away, people were surprised.
Because who leaves when they look like they're on top?
What I know now, that I didn't fully appreciate then:
A leader who's depleted can't actually lead.
They can only cope, convincingly, for a while.
The work I do now grew straight out of that season.
Helping people build a way of leading they can actually sustain.
Not just survive.
If you're reading this while quietly running on fumes, I see you.
Your leadership doesn't have to cost you your energy.
