Leadership: It All Starts With How You Show Up
By Molly Trotter – Gomez
Abundant TV Faith in the Workplace Team
Leadership. For some, it’s a role. For others, it’s just a title. And let’s be honest, over the years, leadership hasn’t always had the best reputation. Too often, what’s been called “leadership” looked more like dictatorship whether in the workplace, in government, or even at home. Power abused. Influence twisted. Trust broken.
But real leadership? It’s something entirely different.
Leadership isn’t about power. It’s about presence. It’s about showing up first, going first, and stepping into the hard things when no one else will. Leadership is having the courage to initiate tough conversations. It’s the empathy to love people at their worst while still believing in their best. It’s modeling the very character and consistency you want others to follow.
Leadership is vast. It’s weighty. And yes, it’s a calling.
Too many chase the word “leader” for the wrong reasons. They crave control. They want status. They want the perks without the responsibility. And we’ve all seen where that leads: people in positions of influence who misuse their power and face little accountability.
But here’s the truth: leadership isn’t about the title. It’s about being an example.
Now, maybe you’re thinking, “That’s not me. I’m not a leader.”
But here’s the reality: you lead everywhere you go.
You lead in your family. You lead at the gym. You lead in the store, at church, and in the workplace. You may not carry the title, but God never designed you to sit on the sidelines.
One of the most common excuses I hear is: “Someone else will do it.” But that “someone else” rarely shows up. The ball gets kicked around. The work gets delayed. The change never happens. And instead of stepping in, most people complain about what’s broken rather than becoming the spark to fix it.
Leadership doesn’t wait. It moves.
Think about the workplace. Most of us show up hoping the system runs smoothly and praying we can just keep our heads down. But then when things don’t go our way, frustration rises. We slip into survival mode, expecting the environment to bend to us.
I know this firsthand. For years, I lived with what I call the “rose-colored glasses” mindset. My vision was focused only on how things impacted me. I walked with an entitlement mentality: “I work too hard for this to fall apart.”
Underneath it all? A deep performance mindset. I became obsessed with metrics, appearances, and outcome, not service. I was more concerned with looking successful than actually leading with impact. Truthfully, I wanted to be served by my results instead of posturing my heart to serve others.
I wouldn’t have admitted this a year ago. But here’s what I’ve learned: growth starts when we get brutally honest with ourselves and choose change.
Many of us get really good at masking our motives. We say it’s about others, but deep down it’s about us. The breakthrough for me came with a simple but radical question:
What if I looked at every single task as if I were doing it for the Lord?
Not just the big, exciting things. Even the tedious, frustrating, “I hate this” tasks. How would I show up differently? How would I treat people? How would I lead?
That shift wrecked me.. in the best way. It healed my performance-driven mindset and reoriented me to true service. Suddenly, my work wasn’t about metrics or appearances. It was about impact.
I believe there’s an urgency right now. An urgency for leaders—whether titled or not—to shift from “What’s in it for me?” to “Lord, how would You have me walk this out?”
Real leadership is service. Christ modeled this better than anyone, washing feet when He had every right to demand honor. It’s easy to quote. Much harder to live.
But the invitation is clear:
What if you looked at every task, every conversation, every responsibility.. as if it were for Him?
What would shift in your life, your workplace, your home?
Leadership isn’t about titles, positions, or applause. It’s about the quiet decision to show up differently. It’s about choosing service over status. It’s about doing the unseen tasks with excellence because you know who you’re really doing them for.
Before the influence. Before the platform. Before the recognition.
It all starts with how you show up.
Connect with Molly – Here’s how:
It’s Bigger Than Me Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-bigger-than-me/id1725641416
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofbiR9KFDizLd1kHTSajFA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-trotter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molly_trotter/
Website: https://signaturestoryco.com/
