A Turning Point In My Leadership Journey

Published by Vijay Sha | Executive Mindset Coach

I want to share a vulnerable moment that taught me something important about leadership.✨

⏳Early in my career, I was in a boardroom presentation, feeling confident about my prepared talking points. Then a senior executive 🤵 asked a challenging question I hadn't anticipated.

I felt completely exposed. The awkward pause. The uncertain response. I could see the disappointment around the table.

Walking out of that room, I realised something that changed my entire approach to leadership: 

"I had been trying to act 🎭 like the leader I thought I should be,

instead of developing into the leader I could actually become."

Here are some insights I've gathered over the years (still learning every day):

🔹 Authenticity resonates more than perfection 

🔹 It's okay to say "I don't know, but I'll find out" 

🔹 Confidence isn't about having all the answers, it's about being comfortable with uncertainty

🔹 The gap between "trying to lead" and "naturally leading" is a mindset shift

I'm grateful for that uncomfortable moment 🪂 It started a journey of authentic leadership development that continues today.

The leaders I'm honored to coach often share similar insights with me, that their breakthrough came when they shifted from copying other leaders to developing their own genuine executive presence.

📩I'd love to hear from you:

What's been a turning point in your leadership journey?

Your experiences always teach me something new.

#ExecutiveMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipStruggles #ManagerTips #LeadershipConfidence #LeadershipBreakthrough #ExecutivePresence

Further update:

🎯There was a great question raised to me about this post, that Box 1 items are urgent AND important, so you can't just move them. That's absolutely right. ✅

Here's the key insight: The goal isn't to move existing Box 1 items to Box 2. The goal is to prevent Box 2 items from becoming Box 1 crises in the first place.

Here's how it works:

Box 2 examples:

- Strategic planning for next quarter

- Team development and training

- Process improvements

- Relationship building with key stakeholders

When you IGNORE Box 2, these become Box 1 emergencies:

- Scrambling to hit targets because you didn't plan

- Dealing with team performance issues that could have been prevented

- Firefighting broken processes

- Crisis management with angry stakeholders

The magic happens when you schedule time in your daily routine for Box 2 work. You'll find yourself with fewer Box 1 crises over time.

Think of it like this: Box 2 is preventive medicine. Box 1 is emergency surgery.

What's one Box 2 activity you could spend 30 minutes on today that might prevent a future crisis? ⏱️