Where this started
In the spring of 2020, like millions of others, I found myself staring at a computer screen instead of standing in front of people.
As a teacher, I had spent decades building relationships in classrooms. I could read a student's expression, stop beside a desk, share a quick word of encouragement, and know whether a lesson was connecting. Almost overnight, all of that disappeared. The classroom became a grid of black boxes and muted microphones.
I was working hard, but I felt unseen. I was serving others, but I felt unheard. I was investing in people, but I felt undervalued. There was no dramatic failure. No conflict. Just silence.
Then something shifted. I realized that leadership had never been about recognition. It had always been about influence. My responsibility was simply to show up, serve faithfully, and add value — whether I could see the impact or not.
So I kept teaching. I kept reaching out to students and colleagues. I kept trying to make a difference one conversation at a time.