When Leadership Looks Like Following

Dreams are in our sleep, and they should stay there.

There will come a point in your journey, maybe more than one, when the dream you were chasing begins to feel heavy. The excitement fades. The vision gets blurry. Your motivation runs dry. You look around and wonder, Is this still worth it?

This is not failure. It is human.

Even the most seasoned leaders lose momentum. The pressure to carry the vision, inspire the team, and keep the wheels turning can quietly empty your tank. What I have learned is that when your drive is low and your creativity stalls, do not isolate. Attach yourself to someone who is lit up with passion. Someone who is building something meaningful. Someone whose spark might just reignite your own.

Find them. Watch them. Cheer for them. Support them.

It might be a peer, a friend, or even someone on your own team. Yes—your employees. Leadership does not always mean being the sharpest person in the room. There will be seasons where someone younger, newer, or less experienced has a sharper edge, a fresh vision, or more energy than you. That does not disqualify you. It invites you into a different kind of strength, the kind that knows how to fan the flame in someone else’s eyes without being threatened by it.

True leadership is not about having the answers. It is about nurturing the questions. Creating space for people to chase what matters. Encouraging ideas to grow. Inviting others to bring their full self to the table.

But here is the catch—you cannot encourage that fire in others unless you have at least a flicker of it in yourself. That is where mentorship becomes mutual. The same people you invest in will often inspire you in return.

My parents taught me something that echoes in my mind to this day: “Always share your success with those who have the same dream. Bring them along.” It was more than a nice idea. It was a way of life. They knew that dreams do not flourish in isolation. They grow in community. They become contagious when shared. And the best way to refuel your own dream is to pour into someone else’s.

When you help someone else get to where they are going, it is not a detour from your path—it is often the reminder that you still have one too.

So, if you are feeling stuck, tired, or like you are falling behind, take a step back. Look around. Who is carrying a spark? Who is walking toward something meaningful? Join them. Ask questions. Lend your hand. Fuel is not always something you manufacture; it is something you receive by being close to someone whose fire is alive.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

The bible is the source to quench all thirsts—even leadership. When you water others, you do not dry up, you come back to life.

Thought Provoking Question:

1. Whose dream could you support this week as a way of rediscovering your own?

2. Are you surrounding yourself with people who stretch and inspire you?

3. What would it look like to lead with generosity, not just vision?