The promotion finally came...

The promotion finally came.

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After years of grinding, my client was next in line.

But instead of excitement, he felt fear.

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Would he rise to the occasion?

Did he actually have what it takes?

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At first, we thought that was the whole story. 

Fear. Self-doubt. Normal stuff.

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But then I noticed something else, just a flicker of sadness in his face.

And that opened the real conversation.

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He wasn’t just afraid of failing.

He was grieving.

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A part of him, the persona that built his career on vigilance, effort, and fear, was starting to loosen its grip.

That version of him had been in charge for decades. 

It kept him safe. It got results. 

But now it was being asked to step aside.

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And that’s a loss, even when it’s a step forward.

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Here’s what we uncovered:

• You can’t grow unless you’re willing to feel all of it, including the sadness that comes with letting go of a past identity.
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• The work isn’t just cognitive. It’s internal alignment. Which persona is showing up? And who else inside you is ready to take the lead?

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You can’t force your next-level self to appear.

But you can invite it.

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Not by rejecting the fear-based part, but by appreciating its service and letting it rest.

That’s when leadership starts feeling more alive. More integrated. More true.

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What version of you is ready to step forward?