That sentence pierced me in a way I wasn’t ready for.
It was during a workplace review.
I had made a mistake — a human one — and I owned it. But then came the blow:
“We see a lot of thought leadership online, but what we’re seeing here doesn’t match.”
They were referring to my LinkedIn. My posts. My voice.
The very place where I pour my heart, share lessons, encourage others.
In that moment, I crumbled — quietly, inwardly.
I took it personal.
Because behind every piece of “thought leadership” I share is a very real woman doing her best, learning in real time, trying not to let her growth curve show too much in public.
Here’s what actually happened.
They asked me to reach out to someone very prominent for a company event.
And I said I didn’t think I was the right person.
Not because I didn’t want to — but because I genuinely believed someone in a higher position would get a better response.
I didn’t see myself as enough.
That decision was labelled as playing small.
But what hurt more was the judgment that followed.
Because no one asked why I hesitated.
No one asked what made me think I couldn’t.
They just drew a line between my online presence and my perceived offline performance.
And that line almost crushed me.
Fast forward a few months later, I was offered a General Manager position — at a completely different company.
I hesitated again.
This time, I asked:
“Why me?”
They said: “You’re strategic. You communicate with clarity. You execute.”
They listed every quality I once doubted.
And today, I am leading well. I am performing.
And more importantly, I have healed — from that wound, from that moment.
Here’s what I want to say to every job seeker, every young professional, every leader who’s ever second-guessed themselves after a tough meeting:
🔹 Sometimes we do take things personally.
🔹 Sometimes we do need to unpack the weight of words said to us.
🔹 And sometimes the people who speak about “thought leadership” don’t understand the courage it takes to show up at all.
Growth isn’t perfect. It’s messy, silent, invisible in some seasons.
But don’t let one evaluation bury your brilliance.
And never confuse one moment of self-doubt with a lifetime of incapacity.
Today, I still write on LinkedIn.
And yes, I lead on the ground, too.
Not because I am perfect — but because I no longer need to be.
#LeadershipJourney #VulnerabilityInLeadership #WorkplaceStories #NicoleMarara #FromWoundToWisdom #LinkedInReflections #FaithInTheWorkplace #ThoughtLeadership