On being human first
Earlier today, a thought crossed my mind - briefly, quietly, but long enough to annoy me. It went something like:
“Now that I’m fully focused on developing my business and growing my online presence… how will posting my support for this cause affect audience engagement? And therefore, my business?”
I didn’t like that the thought even showed up. And it didn’t stop me, I still filmed my live, I still posted it.
But the thought lingered. Long enough that I’m writing about it now. Because, as you'll know if you follow my writing, this is where things get real.
The conversation that triggered the reflection
Earlier this week, I was speaking with a prospective client. They said something that, on the surface, sounded perfectly reasonable:
“If only people would stop fighting each other and let the past be the past. The people fighting now probably don’t even know what actually started it.”
In the moment, I let the comment slide. Partly because there are places where that sentiment applies.
But mostly because I hadn’t let the full weight of what I was hearing that day sink in. Later, as I listened to the accounts of people who had suffered at the hands of colonisers… of those whose land was taken, whose language was stripped, whose families were displaced… I realised something:
This “let bygones be bygones” line is almost always spoken by those who benefitted from the taking.
It is easy - so easy - to say “move on” when you’ve already inherited privilege, security and stability. It is a completely different thing to say “move on” when:
your ancestral land was taken,
you still hold the deed,
and you’re told it “doesn’t matter” anymore.
Or when your schools, hospitals, reporters, humanitarian aid workers and, most importantly, children are targeted again and again. Some wounds may be healed by time, but those formed through injustice need to be acknowledged, addressed and resolved. They do not disappear with silence.
And no amount of “letting go” condones the continued harm happening right now.
So why did that question cross my mind?
Coming back to that fleeting internal moment - the “will this hurt my business?” thought - I felt something rising in me.
Anger.
Anger at myself for even giving the idea oxygen. Anger at a world where we can write beautiful captions, post lovely quotes, express sympathy - and still remain silent when children are being slaughtered.
And the part that really struck a nerve: How can I coach others to be true to themselves… while I pause posting truth because I’m worried about optics?
Where are my values then? Where are my principles? Where is the version of me that is unapologetic, grounded, anchored in justice?
Being a leader means being human first
I refuse - refuse - to believe I cannot be a successful business owner and someone who stands openly for justice.
In another coaching conversation this week, a client shared the trait they most admired: Speaking truth to power. Those words echoed loudly in my mind today. Because leadership - real leadership - is not just about strategy, productivity or progress.
It is about being human first. It is about seeing pain and refusing to intellectualise it. It is about knowing that silence protects the comfortable, not the suffering. It is about choosing values, even when your brand, your business, or your “engagement metrics” might take a hit.
It is about integrity. And integrity is not a strategy. It’s a way of existing in the world.
Feeling torn
If you’re someone who feels torn between “showing up professionally” and “showing up as a human being with a conscience,” you’re not alone. But please hear this:
Your values are part of your leadership. Your principles are part of your brand. And your humanity is not a liability - it is your anchor.
Success built on silence is flaky, empty. Success built on integrity is unshakeable. And today reminded me of this one simple truth: I never want to build anything that costs me my voice.
Final thought
So before you scroll on, here’s something I want to leave you with - not as homework nor as judgement, but as an invitation to check in with your own humanity:
Where does your conscience nudge you… and where do you silence it for the sake of comfort?
What values do you claim and which ones do you actually live when it costs you something?
When have you chosen professionalism over principle… and did it sit right with you?
Whose pain have you accidentally stepped over because acknowledging it felt inconvenient?
And if someone observed your life this week, where would they see your humanity show up?
Because being human first isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about refusing to look away. It’s about choosing courage in small ways, consistently. It’s about noticing when fear tries to negotiate your integrity… and choosing not to let it.
Your humanity is not a weakness. It’s the very thing the world needs more of, especially from its leaders.
If this stirred something in you, then maybe this is your moment to pause, breathe and ask: Where to from here?
Wherever it is… go on, take the Next Step.
