I lead from where I’ve been

Part six of a quiet series I’m sharing — letters that tell the truth of where I’ve been, and how I found my way through

I didn’t plan to write these letters.

They came because something inside me said: It’s time to tell the truth. Not the polished story. Not the titles. Not the work I’ve done or the awards I’ve received.

But the real path. The invisible part.

The grief. The silence. The physical pain.
The rituals that kept me sane.
The days I cancelled everything because my body said, No more.

And now, I want to say this clearly:
I don’t lead from theory. I lead from where I’ve been.

I’ve sat in ICU rooms, waiting to hear if my son would live.
I’ve called doctors across continents, advocating when everyone else gave up.
I’ve cried in the bath, unsure who I was without the role of mother, advocate, savior.
I’ve kept going when it made no sense — and then, finally, I stopped.
I slowed down. I listened. I learned how to be again.

And that’s where my leadership now comes from.

When I sit with my clients — women solving global problems, navigating complexity most people can’t see — I don’t offer generic strategies. I don’t give pep talks. I listen for what isn’t said. I track energy. I sense what’s alive in the body, not just the business.

Because I know what it’s like to carry urgency that isn’t yours.
I know what it’s like to lose yourself in service of a mission.
I know what it’s like to perform strength while quietly falling apart.

And I know how to come home to yourself — not in theory, but in practice.

I lead the way I live.

Present. Attuned. Fierce in clarity.
Clear in what’s mine to hold — and what’s not.
Able to sit in the discomfort without trying to fix it too fast.
Able to ask the question beneath the question.

That’s what it means to me to be a thinking partner.
Not just smart. But with you. In it. Beside you.
Clear-eyed. Grounded. With no need to impress.

I’m not trying to be your hero.
I’m not trying to tell you who to be.
I’m just here — bringing all of who I am.
Every scar. Every story. Every hard-won truth.

That’s the space I hold.
And that’s the space I offer.

Thanks for reading. This is my last letter for now. Here are the links to the other five letters.

Love,

Rita

PS — I no longer feel responsible for carrying the world. I’m no longer living like everything is life or death. I’m connected to the moment. And I know: this is what my future self is thanking me for. I allow my life to be good.

PSS. If you’re ready for a steadier, deeper way of leading, I offer private 1:1 thinking partnerships for leaders building what matters most. When you’re ready, the space is here. If it feels like the right time, message me and we’ll have a quiet conversation. 

PSSS. Join the wait list for Lumina Conexus Mastermind 

PSSSS.  You can read All articles here.