Mentors believed in my leadership skills. Now I believe in them too
The power of belief is a force that can unlock our deepest potential. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to encounter individuals — teachers, peers and mentors — who have recognized and nurtured my abilities and helped me become the leader that I am today. Their unwavering confidence in me has served as a catalyst for my professional growth and has empowered me to ascend to roles I once thought were beyond my reach.
My teachers were the first to identify the ember of leadership within me. They didn’t just impart knowledge; they instilled a belief that I could harness that knowledge to lead and inspire others. Their feedback wasn’t merely corrective; it was affirmative, highlighting strengths I had overlooked in myself. This recognition was more than a compliment — it was an invitation to see myself through a lens of capability and promise.
In the professional realm, I had one leader who played a pivotal role in my metamorphosis from a tentative participant to a decisive leader. They observed my work ethic, my ability to listen and synthesize information, and my knack for getting things done. Rather than keep these observations to themselves, they shared them with me, providing a mirror that reflected not who I was, but who I could become. They entrusted me with increasing responsibilities, not as a test, but as an endorsement of my latent abilities. Each task was a building block, each project an exercise in self-discovery and leadership development.
This belief from others became a self-fulfilling prophecy. With each challenge I overcame, my self-assurance grew. Their conviction in my potential became my own conviction, and with this newfound confidence, I began to volunteer for leadership roles, identify opportunities for improvement and growth within my organizations, and help support my co-workers along the way. The growth was both inward and outward; I was shaping my career trajectory while simultaneously contributing to a culture of ownership and empowerment within my organizations.
Leadership is often perceived as an intrinsic trait, but my journey has taught me that it can be cultivated through the faith others place in you. The belief that my teachers, peers, mentors and former managers/leaders had in me did more than just encourage — it transformed me. It allowed me to visualize a path to leadership I had not seen before and to traverse that path with the assurance that I was not alone in believing that I could succeed. This is the essence of how belief from others can spark personal self-discovery and evolution and help one successfully rise to heights they never imagined they could reach. It is my heart’s desire to serve as such a catalyst for others!
