Are You Afraid of Your Own Power?

Why many leaders play small—and how to stop.

There’s a kind of fear that doesn’t come from danger.
It comes from the unbearable brightness you carry within.

I’ve seen it in executive leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives.
I’ve seen it in myself.

AI image, duh!

It’s the moment when a leader glimpses their full power—their deeper knowing, their unspoken clarity—and flinches.

Instead of stepping forward into what we’ve glimpsed.
We keeping playing small.
We put the mask back on.
We shrink back into the role, the persona, the version of leadership that’s expected of us.

Not because we’re weak.
But because we know what will be asked of us if we truly lead from that place of inner power.

Vulnerability. Risk. Visibility. Responsibility.

A number of years ago, when I was deep in my own inner journey, and before I fully stepped into the work I now do with leaders and changemakers, I wrote a poem I never shared.

I wrote it for myself.
And it felt too raw. Too revealing. Too big.

But when I stumbled upon it this past week, I saw it differently. I saw it not only as a reflection of my own sense of purpose, but as something more timeless—an invocation of what true leadership really demands.

If you’ve read my book The Way Home, you know the jaguar became an unexpected teacher along the way. It wasn’t just a symbol. It became a spiritual guide—stealthy, potent, patient. And ultimately, it became a mirror for who I was… and who I was becoming.

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I Am Jaguar

May 3, 2019

I am jaguar
Through vast terrain I roam
Silently, stridently on the prowl
To hunt and sustain
Everything
On secret trails I move
Releasing the wisdom of the ages
So that all might fear
Their own glory
They are trembling in my presence
At the sight
Of their own sacred possibilities
They are more
Than they ever know
In this majestic circle
Of whirling, homeward energy
If I were to abandon
This lofty burden
The comprehensive consequence
Would be joyless collapse
A silent vacancy
Would govern this territory
A soulless echo
Would sing of our demise
So each day I must embrace
This majestic station
To elevate the life force of all things.

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The Sacred Responsibility of Leadership

When I wrote this poem, I hadn’t yet left the role that was keeping me small.
I hadn’t embarked on my canyon quest.
I hadn’t started meditating—or teaching meditation.
I hadn’t written my book.
I hadn’t launched my coaching practice.

But something deeper had already begun.

Writing this poem was an act of recognition—of a sacred responsibility I carried.

As I later reflected in The Way Home, I realized there had always been a certain kind of jaguarness in how I moved through the world. I consistently worked to create and sustain vibrant ecosystems where others could thrive and contribute. Like the jaguar—a keystone species that brings balance—I sensed my role was to quietly hold the integrity of the systems I was part of.

But here’s the thing about the jaguar: when it disappears, the whole system suffers.

The same is true of leadership. Whether I was overbearing or disengaged, both were signs of a lack of presence—ways of shrinking back from the power within me. And the result was the same: it destabilized the ecosystems I was part of—family, friends, colleagues, teams.

At some point along the way—and certainly by the time I wrote this poem—I realized that my inner journey wasn’t just about personal healing. It was preparing me to carry my power differently. To lead from within with presence, perseverance, and fierce care.

The image of the jaguar may have been particular to me, but this is what real leadership requires of all of us.

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Leading from the Wild, Wisdom Within

These days, I have the privilege of working with leaders who are being called to shed what’s no longer true—people who are tired of managing personas and ready to lead from the wild, wise center of themselves.

It’s not about abandoning ambition.
It’s about aligning it with soul.

If that sounds like you—or who you’re becoming—I’d be honored to walk with you.

👉 Learn more about The Journey Within coaching experience for leaders here.
Or simply reply and share what’s stirring. Sometimes the bravest move a leader can make is to tell the truth about what they’re carrying.

With heart,
Ben