“The Paradox of Leadership” (Refined Script)
- ahmedfoysal450
- Oct 17
- 5 min read
Leadership is one of those topics that everyone thinks they understand, until they’re actually asked to lead.
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to speak to the Bald Is Bold Leadership Group about what leadership really means to me. Spoiler alert… it’s not about titles, or control, or how loud you can talk in a meeting.
It’s about energy.
It’s about how you show up, as a parent, a founder, a friend, and the way your presence changes the rooms you walk into.
In this talk, I shared what I’ve learned from 15 years of raising two daughters as a single parent, building multiple businesses, and figuring out how to lead myself first, so I can better lead others.
Here are the raw, unfiltered notes from that keynote: “The Paradox of Leadership.”
First off… huge thanks to Jose Escobar and Ken Rochon for the introduction and for trusting me not to completely derail your event in over ten minutes… I am known to… well tell stories.
For those who don’t know me, I’m Deevo, brand storyteller, coach, speaker, podcast host, father, serial entrepreneur, healthy living aficionado and recovering perfectionist.
Translation: I help people figure out who they actually are, why their message isn’t landing, and how to stop wasting time pretending to be what they think the market wants.
Part 1 — The Set-Up
When I think about leadership, I don’t think about titles or corner offices.
To me, leadership is the energy you bring to every situation and I came about this point of view from being a single parent for the last 15 years, so thank you to my daughters for being my greatest lesson so far.
Every room you walk into, every person you meet, you havre change. The question is… are you doing it on purpose with positivity or by accident and/or negativity?
We all know people who can command attention.
But how many can hold presence?
That’s the difference between control and leadership.
Control demands attention.
Leadership earns trust.
Part 2 — What I Believe About Leadership
Ok so really I could go on and on about leadership, it’s one of my favorite topics, but since I only have 10 minutes and I had to distill it down, here’s how I see it:
Self-work first.
If you can’t lead yourself through chaos, please don’t lead anyone else through theirs. Leadership without self-awareness is just ego with a microphone.
Be kind to yourself.
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a warning light. If you’re burning yourself out trying to save everyone else, congrats, you’re both the arsonist and the fire department.
Service, not sacrifice.
Leadership is service to others, not martyrdom. You can’t pour from an empty glass, at least not without bleeding into it.
Tap into creativity.
The best leaders aren’t managers, they’re creators. They imagine things that don’t exist yet and then build them anyway. Neuroscience says our left and right brains aren’t meant to compete, they’re meant to collaborate. So, use your creativity. It’s not optional; it’s fuel.
Stay curious. Always.
Leadership isn’t a title; it’s a lifelong apprenticeship. The minute you think you’ve “arrived,” you’ve stopped leading. Stay learning, stay humble, stay expanding your zone of genius.
Community. Collaboration. Creation.
You are a byproduct of who you surround yourself with. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re probably in the wrong damn room.
Check your ego at the door.
Ego says, “I need to be right.” Leadership says, “Let’s get it right.”(Insert quote here, something like Zig Ziglar’s “You can get everything in life you want if you help enough other people get what they want.”)
Take care of the machine.
Move your body. Eat real food. Touch grass. If your body quits, your leadership does too. The mind can’t lead where the body refuses to follow.
Be a rebel.
Great leaders challenge systems, not to feed their ego, but to evolve the game. If you’re not questioning something, you’re probably just maintaining someone else’s comfort zone.
Add value, always.
I tell my kids: be a producer, not a consumer. Add value to the conversation, the room, the people around you. If you’re not adding value, you’re just taking up airspace.
And finally… Gratitude.
Gratitude is the great equalizer. It turns exhaustion into appreciation, scarcity into possibility, fear into faith. Gratitude doesn’t erase hard things, it just changes how you face them.
Part 3 — The Paradox
There is a paradox no one tells you about leadership:
You have to be humble enough to listen and bold enough to act.
You have to be willing to meet people where they are and learn from them simultaneously.
It’s that tightrope between humility and audacity.
Between not knowing and choosing anyway.
And if I am being honest, most of the time, we’re winging it, especially as parents.
Leadership doesn’t come with applause.
It’s quiet. It’s heavy. And sometimes, it’s thankless.
But when it’s done with truth, presence, and gratitude, it becomes legacy.
Part 4 — Closing
If I could leave you with one thing, it’s this:
Leadership isn’t about getting people to follow you.
It’s about showing up so powerfully in your truth
that other people find the courage to lead themselves.
That’s the real work, and the ultimate paradox.
Thank you for your time, and again thank you Jose and Ken for having me.
If any of this hit home, connect with me at The Brand Storyteller, where we unpack how who you are shapes everything you create.
About Deevo
I’m Deevo Tindall, brand storyteller, coach, speaker, father, and recovering perfectionist.
I help entrepreneurs and creators figure out who they actually are, why their message isn’t landing, and how to stop wasting time pretending to be what they think the market wants.
For the past decade, I’ve helped founders and leaders bridge the gap between who they are and how they show up in business. Because when you get your story right, everything else, your message, your marketing, your momentum, starts to fall into place.
If this resonated…
Here are a few ways to work with me:
💡 The Becoming You Blueprint™ – A deep dive into your identity, message, and story. Perfect for founders or creatives who feel stuck, plateaued, or ready to reimagine how they show up.
⚡ The Brand Clarity Accelerator™ – A focused 2-day sprint to align your message, market, and growth strategy. Get the playbook your business has been missing.
🎙️ Book me for your next keynote or workshop. I teach brand storytelling, leadership, and identity alignment in a way that actually sticks, because I live it.
Ready to get unstuck?
Let’s talk about your story.
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