Leadership is Exposing

What would it look like to show up as a leader—wherever you have influence—knowing that you are fully known and fully loved just as you are?

If you’ve been around the Wise Women community recently, you’ve probably heard me say multiple times that we are ALL leading somewhere. We lead at home, at work, and in our communities. At the very least, we are always leading OURSELVES, which is often the hardest leadership role of all.

I have always been fascinated by watching and sitting under skilled leadership. I have seen leaders rise and leaders fall. I have experienced leadership so powerful, it inspired and raised up other incredible leaders, and I have experienced leadership so toxic, it left a path of destruction behind with no acknowledgement of the damage done.

The most impressive leaders I have experienced are those who lead with love, conviction, authenticity, courage, and humility.

As I evaluate my leadership over the years, I recognize times I have led well and other times I have failed miserably. Overall, I have concluded that to mature as a leader, I must be willing to see myself (warts and all!) and risk being seen by others.

A friend and mentor recently described it this way: “Leadership is exposing.”

That statement hit me hard. A place of “exposure” is never comfortable.

I don’t think anyone wakes up one day and says to themselves, “I think I’d like to be painfully exposed and face tough realities about myself today.” No, thank you!

At the same time, if we never risk being “known,” we can easily become stuck in our own self-deceptions. And living in that tiny world robs us of some INCREDIBLE experiences that can only happen when we openly share our own humanity.

Ultimately, I don’t want to ever be in a place of leading others without first knowing that I am fully known and perfectly loved, weaknesses and all, by the One who created me.

When I am resting in God’s love and His leadership of my own life, I don’t need to live in fear of “exposure.” His perfect love casts out fear. It allows me to be at peace with my less-than-perfect self. It allows me to have faith that whatever He calls me to do can be accomplished because of His ability to work through my weakness.