Every time I walk on a stage, I remind myself of something that’s easy to forget.
People don’t come here to be impressed.
They come here to feel seen.
They’re not looking for a hero.
But perhaps for someone who dares to say what they’ve been struggling to say themselves.
That’s what “lighting the path” means to me.
It’s not about being the brightest light in the room.
It’s about being the one who dares to turn it on.
Because let’s be honest. The world is full of leaders who perform clarity instead of practicing it.
They talk about purpose, but you can see in their teams’ eyes that no one really knows what it means. They deliver messages that sound perfect on slides, yet are nowhere to be seen in real life.
And then there are the others.
The ones who care enough to stop pretending. Who say, “This is messy. I don’t have all the answers. But here’s what I know still matters.” Who don’t speak to impress, but to connect.
Those are the ones who light the path.
Not because they know more.
But because they care more.
If that’s you, keep going.
The world needs more lights like that.
Keep lighting the path,
Michael
PS: The photo is from my keynote at Vonk Conference 2025.
