You’ve done the homework.
You know the facts.
You’ve run the numbers, considered the angles, and thought through the outcomes.
And then the moment comes the meeting, the conversation, the decision point and you stay quiet.
You soften your position.
You convince yourself it’s not worth it.
You tell yourself nothing will change anyway.
We often talk about leadership as influence, strategy, and execution. Those things matter.
But we don’t talk enough about the right and the responsibility to state your case.
Not emotionally.
Not aggressively.
But clearly. Respectfully. Factually.
Because more often than we realize, the weight we feel from the kitchen table to the boardroom is not the work itself.
It’s the silence.
That’s the cape.
The cape is the hesitation.
The cape is holding it in.
The cape is knowing what needs to be said and carrying the pressure of not saying it.
And that pressure follows you home.
It shows up as stress you can’t quite name.
Frustration you can’t quite explain.
Fatigue that feels heavier than the actual work you did that day.
Taking the cape off doesn’t mean raising your voice.
It means using it.
It means presenting your case with facts instead of emotion.
It means being empathetic to everyone involved which is often the hardest part.
It means accepting that you may not always win the argument, but being able to say you honored your responsibility to speak.
Because part of healthy leadership and healthy living is not carrying what was never meant to stay inside of you.
Advocacy isn’t just a right.
It’s the act of using your voice to contribute to the world around you.
And sometimes, the most powerful leadership move you can make…
is taking the cape off and speaking.
Damon Lester
Take the Cape Off