Anchored in hope

My book is available now!

It still feels a little strange knowing that my story is being read by others. I’m proud, excited and, if I’m honest, I feel a little exposed too. But I know the purpose is bigger than my ego.

I wrote this book while navigating a deeply challenging season, still showing up for my work, still leading, still living and not pretending everything was fine but accepting that life does carry on. As Maya Angelou said, “Every storm runs out of rain.” I held on to that.

In my work with leaders, I see something similar during stormy seasons. Outwardly they remain competent, responsible and available yet underneath they are paddling furiously whilst wrestling with doubts about their capability, their identity, sometimes even their worth and even when they feel they’ve lost control, they keep going. I know that feeling well!

What I’ve learnt, personally and through coaching others, is that resilience isn’t built by pushing harder or showing up more. It’s built by recognising what truly matters and giving yourself permission to pause long enough to be guided by it. For me, that means returning to my anchors.

My anchors are what steady me when circumstances don’t. Anchors ground you in the storm, they guide you when things feel uncertain, they comfort you when you feel depleted and they remind you who you are.

Here are some of the anchors that have steadied me and the leaders I work with. I hope you recognise some in yourself and if not, choose to adopt some as you navigate your own season.

1. Focus on the facts - In times of fear, facts get distorted. We project, we assume and at worst, we catastrophise. A daily practice of separating fact from story and truth from noise, allows you to be grounded and clear.

2. Remember who and whose you are - When your identity is anchored in who you are as a human being - kind, thoughtful, resilient, compassionate - rather than in your output, everything shifts. You are a human being, not a human doing.

Personally, I remind myself daily that I am a child of God and that my life has purpose beyond what I produce. Anchoring your worth in your humanity rather than your performance is a game changer.

3. Focus on what you can control - You can’t eliminate uncertainty, but you can steward your energy. When you focus on what is within your control, your decisions become more strategic and less reactive.

4. Rest is not weakness - For many leaders I work with, rest feels radical. I know pushing through has been my default, but sustainability doesn’t come from endurance, sometimes the way to move forward well is to slow down deliberately.

5. Acknowledge sadness and loss - Strength is not the absence of emotion.Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is name your sadness and allow yourself to be comforted. Unacknowledged grief doesn’t disappear it accumulates. And when we suppress it, it can leak out sideways in ways that don’t align with the leaders we want to be. Facing it is a mark of maturity, not weakness.

6. Cultivate your community - Leadership can be lonely. We isolate to protect ourselves or to avoid burdening others. Your support network may not be the people you lead, it may be a coach, mentor, adviser, friend, family member. Ensure you have people around you with whom you can be fully human. And remember to ask for help when you need it.

7. Hold on to hope - Hope is not denial it’s disciplined confidence. It’s the belief that light comes, even when the dark feels long. Leaders who remain hopeful lead differently.

If you are leading in turbulent times, find your anchors, leadership isn’t only about strategic competence it’s about remaining anchored while you lead.

If this resonates, my book Healing and Hopeful goes deeper into these themes. I share how faith, identity and resilience have intersected in real, demanding seasons of life and leadership. It’s written for those who carry responsibility and still need space for their own healing. If you’re navigating complexity right now – personally or professionally - I invite you to buy a copy.