There is a conversation I have had, in one form or another, with many talented people over the years. It usually begins with hesitation. Someone capable and clearly gifted explains why they are not quite ready for the role, the platform, or the opportunity in front of them. They are waiting to feel certain. What I have learned, across a career in banking and through my own seasons of doubt, is that certainty is seldom the first thing to arrive.
Confidence does not always come before the opportunity. Very often it comes afterwards, once you have accepted the challenge, prepared properly, and allowed the process itself to change you. This is one of the reasons I encourage people, women and men alike, to show up even when they are unsure. Apply for the role. Compete for the opportunity. Go through the process. Even if you do not emerge with the position, the experience will sharpen your skills, broaden your understanding, and prepare you for what comes next. Waiting until you feel completely ready may cause you to miss the very process that would have made you ready.
I say this not from a distance, but as someone who has had to practise it. No one steps into leadership with everything figured out. What matters is clarity of purpose, the humility to keep learning, and the willingness to take responsibility for something larger than yourself.
