Today I ran into a situation I face often: When is it my place to take charge—and when is it not? There are moments where I could make a decision that moves things forward or makes things better… but it isn’t my call to make. That’s when I have to pause and come back to what I think of as the Leadership Continuum: 1️⃣ Be a follower first. Great leadership starts with the humility to follow well. 2️⃣ Lead yourself. If I can’t control my emotions, ego, or reactions, I have no business leading others. 3️⃣ Lead others. This is where it all shows. If steps 1 and 2 aren’t solid, it becomes obvious here. Here’s the reality: these steps aren’t always sequential. I move back and forth between them constantly, sometimes in the same day. Leadership requires awareness of which step I need to focus on in that moment, not just which title I hold. I have to check myself here often. So let me ask you: Which step is your strongest right now? Which one challenges you the most?

End of the week check-in! What went well? What didn’t? Reflection is how we repeat success and avoid future mistakes. For me this week, organization was the shortfall. I had too many things spread across too many places, without a single, clear list of actions. Priorities weren’t clearly set—and as a result, they weren’t accomplished. Midweek, I took a pause on Wednesday to regroup, get everything organized, and clearly prioritize where my efforts needed to go. I also built a simple checklist to keep myself organized moving forward and avoid ending up in the same place again. What about you? What worked this week, and what didn’t? Let’s hear it.