💚🔥🐉 Some wounds never fade.

And maybe they’re not meant to.

Some of the greatest leaders I know didn’t start their journey with confidence or clarity.

They started with loss.

With feeling out of place.

With challenges that forced them to see the world differently.

For me, one of those moments came early in my career. I was in a role I had worked hard for but life outside of work was falling apart. I felt isolated, like everyone else had the map and I was wandering without one. It was tempting to put up walls. To keep my struggles hidden.

But instead, those hardships softened me.

They taught me to notice the quiet signs when someone else was close to burnout.

They gave me patience for people who weren’t performing at their best, because sometimes, survival takes all you have.

📖 Breath of the Dragon, Lesson 2:

“Early hardship can forge deep empathy—let your experiences draw you closer to others, not push you away.”

Your scars aren’t a weakness.

They’re a map.

They’re proof you’ve walked through the fire and they glow with the wisdom you earned there.

💬 I’d love to hear: What’s one experience that deepened your empathy as a leader?

🐲 On September 25 in Utrecht, I’ll be reading live from The Leadership Leap, sharing the stories behind these lessons, and running an interactive coaching session with tools to help you lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.

🎟️ Register for the Book Launch & Live Coaching Evening — your ticket includes a free signed copy of Breath of the Dragon.

📍 Utrecht | 🕖 19:00–21:30 | 💌 Location after signup