If you’re not claiming your power, someone else is.
We’ve been fed a lie: work hard, play nice, don’t make too much of a fuss, and success will just happen. Absolute lie. The people getting ahead (?) They’re not sitting around waiting for permission. They’re taking up space, setting the agenda, and making damn sure their voices are impossible to ignore.
So let’s be honest: Are you leading, or just hoping to be noticed? I want to make three points!
🧨 POWER ISN’T EVIL, SO DENYING IT WON’T GET YOU ANYWHERE
Firstly, I used to think power meant stepping on people. On the other hand, I used to think that being bold, assertive, or ambitious made you arrogant; that if you wanted too much, spoke too loudly, or owned your success too openly, people would call you difficult.
And let’s be real, that’s exactly what happens. The moment you step up, someone will tell you to tone it down.
But here’s the thing: power isn’t about dominance. It’s about audacity.
🔥 Audacity is owning your authority instead of waiting for someone to hand it to you. 🔥 Audacity is standing firm in who you are, without apology, without hesitation. 🔥 Audacity is refusing to shrink just to make other people comfortable.
And people will try to take that from you. They’ll tell you you’re not humble enough, that you should be grateful, that you should know your place.
🚨 They’ll undermine you. They’ll test you. They’ll disrespect you, just to see if they can.
And if you don’t claim your own authority, they’ll take it for themselves.
🛑 If you don’t assert yourself, you’ll always be “helpful” but never in charge. 📉 If you’re waiting for recognition, you’ll be waiting while some mediocre person climbs the ladder instead. ⚖️ If you avoid conflict, you’re letting the wrong people set the rules.
This isn’t about being ruthless. It’s about refusing to be sidelined.
🦅 INFLUENCE ISN’T ABOUT BEING LIKED, IT’S ABOUT BEING RESPECTED
My second point: we’ve been told that influence comes from being agreeable — that if you’re nice enough, polite enough, unthreatening enough, people will just see your value.
Nah!!
Real influence comes from being impossible to ignore. From saying the thing no one else wants to say. From knowing that sometimes, telling the truth means pi$$ing people off.
🎤 The loudest voices in the room aren’t always the smartest. But they’re the ones shaping the conversation. 💡 Influence isn’t about playing nice, it’s about setting the terms. ⚔️ You don’t win by keeping everyone happy, you win by backing yourself.
And if you’re worried about ruffling feathers? Ask yourself: who benefits when I stay quiet? Because I promise you, it’s not you.
🎯 LEADERS WHO MAKE AN IMPACT DON’T PLAY SMALL, THEY GO BIG
Finally, leadership with audacity isn’t about waiting for your turn. It’s about making your own moves. It’s about turning up, taking up space, and making yourself impossible to ignore.
🚀 Audacity is claiming your space, even when people want you to shrink. 🔥 Audacity is backing yourself, even when others doubt you. ⚡ Audacity is knowing your worth and demanding that others recognise it, too.
So ask yourself:
🧠What do I stand for? And do people know it? 🚧 Am I playing small just to make other people comfortable? 🔥 When was the last time I backed myself, fully, unapologetically, without hesitation?
Because history doesn’t remember the people who played small. It remembers the ones who stepped up, spoke up, and took what was theirs.
So if you’ve been waiting for permission?
This is it.
Take up space. Be bold. Be audacious.
And don’t apologise for it. ⚡👊🏾
💬 What’s the biggest thing holding you back from stepping into your power? Drop a comment, I want to hear your thoughts.
📅 Ready to lead with audacity? Let’s talk. Book a free 30-minute session:[https://calendly.com/g-rhamie]
🌍 More bold leadership insights: [https://rockstoneconsultancy.com/]
PowerMoves 🏆 #TakeUpSpace 🌎 #AudaciousLeadership⚡#BeUnapologetic