Being stuck isn't about your circumstances.

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Author

Lilah Jones
July 01, 2025

Welcome to Issue #001 of The Activated Leader™.

Each week, I send insights to help leaders navigate transitions with clarity, courage, and focused action. If you're ready to move from stuck to activated, you're in the right place.

People think being stuck is about their situation. But I think that's only part of the story.
Your circumstances might explain where you are. But staying there? That's about something deeper.

I know brilliant leaders who can solve complex business problems but freeze when it's time to make a career move. They can navigate multi-million dollar deals but can't figure out their next step. They're undeniably capable, but they're paralyzed by their own thinking.

And this matters. Because in leadership (and life), intelligence solves problems, while activation creates movement.

When someone says, "I just need to figure out the perfect plan first...", their intelligence might start mapping out scenarios. But their wisdom asks, "How long have I been planning? What am I really avoiding here?"

Since movement creates clarity, the path only reveals itself when you start walking. We don't celebrate the insights that come from taking imperfect action. We don't give awards for the courage to begin before you're ready. There's no trophy for choosing growth over comfort. Yet these little acts of bravery are often your greatest breakthroughs.

Movement from courage helps form the foundation of your success. Expertise is like building a reputation. The more you develop it, the more impressive it becomes. But if you're stuck in one place, unable to evolve, it's only a matter of time before you become irrelevant.

This is why you see articles about "successful executives" who stayed in roles they outgrew years ago. I'm sure they're talented. But they lack activation.

High capability might make you valuable, but staying stuck can make you invisible.

In leadership, you're rewarded for taking bold action, but you're punished far more severely for staying stagnant. One year of playing it safe can cost you decades of growth.

I'm not being dramatic. I'm being real.

There's a process to get activated. Start by asking "Why?" five times. Go beyond the surface symptoms to find the core issue. Once you see it clearly, acknowledge it.

Then, take one courageous action. Not perfect action. Courageous action. Something that moves you toward who you're becoming, even if you can't see the whole path.

When you step into that space between who you were and who you're becoming? You now have your greatest teacher: uncertainty. It will show you what you're truly capable of.

The most successful leaders I know aren't always the most prepared. They just refuse to stay stuck when it matters.

So maybe you should focus less on having all the answers and more on taking the next step.

Because how far you go isn't determined by what you know.

It'll be determined by your willingness to move.

What's your take on today's topic? Are you feeling stuck in any area of your leadership or life? What's one courageous action you could take this week? Share your insights or ask a question that moves the conversation forward.

Ready to get activated? 
Join the waitlist for my next group coaching co-hort starting in August