Most leaders try to improve their leadership from the outside in.
They try new habits.
New structures.
New strategies.
New books.
New goals.
And all of that can help…but none of it works if the person doing the leading is unclear on who they are.
Identity is an anchor of leadership.
Not the title.
Not the results.
Not the pressure.
Not the expectations.
Identity is the leader beneath the leader — the place everything else flows from.
Here’s the truth most leaders never say out loud:
When your identity is shaky, everything on top of it wobbles.
You feel unsettled but can’t say why.
You second-guess decisions you used to make quickly.
You keep looking for the “right strategy” when the real issue is an unclear inner world.
You feel stretched, off-center, or disconnected from the leader you want to be.
That’s not a strategy problem.
That’s an identity problem.
And identity problems always show up before leadership problems ever do.
Earlier in my own leadership journey, I relied on talent.
I could move fast, improvise well, take on a lot, and keep things going.
But talent can’t carry the weight of leadership forever.
Eventually, I hit a season where the outside looked fine…
but the inside felt shaky.
My confidence flickered.
My energy drained.
My decisions got heavier.
My sense of direction thinned out.
It wasn’t a tactic issue.
It wasn’t a time issue.
It wasn’t even a competence issue.
It was an identity issue.
When I finally paused long enough to name what was really going on, everything shifted.
I asked myself:
- Who am I when the title is stripped away?
- Who am I when everything goes wrong?
- Who am I when no one is watching?
Those questions saved my leadership.
Because here’s the breakthrough:
Identity isn’t something you invent — It’s something you remember.
You don’t build identity from scratch — you uncover what’s already true.
And when identity becomes clear, leadership becomes grounded.
Your confidence steadies.
Your decisions sharpen.
Your presence deepens.
Your leadership becomes less reactive and more intentional.
Identity clarity doesn’t instantly fix everything — but it fixes the thing everything else is built on.
If you’ve been feeling stretched, scattered, or quietly unsettled…
Don’t start with a new planner or a new strategy.
Start with the inner foundation.
Start with identity.
Reflection Questions:
- What part of your identity feels unclear or unsteady right now?
- Who is the leader you’re becoming — not just the leader you’ve been?
If you want support strengthening your leadership identity heading into 2026, I coach leaders to build a grounded, intentional inner foundation. Message me “Identity” if you want to explore it.
One Intentional Move 