What Happened When I Stepped into the Spotlight

FM (Friday Morning) Reflection #21

There have been times in my career when I felt like I was stepping onto the stage for the first time—the orchestra finishes the prelude, the crowd becomes hushed, and the red velvet curtain rises. Ready to step into the spotlight—uncertain but determined.

In the mental rehearsals leading up to these moments, there have been a few times when I realized that while I knew the lines, I hadn't thought deeply about why I’d be saying them. I could have rationalized this with thoughts like, “This is the way it's done” or “This is what people expect,” but I knew those would just be excuses for not doing the deeper work of illuminating my own character.

One of these earliest going-on-stage moments happened about a decade into my career. I had recently started a new job, and the first few months were disorienting: my hiring manager left shortly after I joined, several peers came and went, and our leaders at the helm weren’t up to the task. I raised my hand to take on a larger role and team, and fo…