Heather’s August post names a question many leaders hesitate to say aloud: am I the right person for this work? Her answer is personal. She returns to her faith, her team, and the reason she serves clients, then keeps moving.
Illustrative operating example — not a client result
A manufacturing CEO doubts the next expansion decision
Imagine the CEO of a manufacturing company considering a second facility after a difficult customer quarter. The decision carries jobs, capacity, and cash consequences, and the CEO privately wonders whether they are equipped to lead the next stage. In Heather’s account, self-doubt is familiar; she returns to her faith, her team, and the reason she serves clients.
A practical next step is to separate the feeling from the decision. The CEO asks the operations and people leaders for the actual capacity, supervisor, and onboarding risks, names the decision that must be made now, and tells the team what information is still needed. The example does not claim that purpose replaces financial or operating analysis; it shows how a leader can keep acting with clarity while doing that analysis.
Name the question without turning it into a verdict
A period of doubt is information about how the leader feels. It does not, by itself, prove the leader cannot do the job. Ask which decision or responsibility has triggered the doubt.
Return to a grounded reason for leading
Heather describes faith as her first source of direction. She also thinks about her team and the work they do for clients. Another leader’s anchor may differ; the useful practice is to name the purpose that can guide today’s decision.
Ask what the team needs now
Purpose becomes practical when it leads to an action. Which person needs clarity? Which commitment needs to be kept? Which decision is waiting for the CEO? Small, visible follow-through gives the team something steadier than a polished speech.
Make room for support
Leadership can feel isolating. A trusted peer, adviser, or leadership team can help test assumptions and provide perspective without taking the responsibility away from the CEO.
A short decision reset for a CEO
Write down the decision that is creating doubt, the evidence already available, and the consequence of waiting. Separate a genuine missing fact from a wish for certainty that no amount of research can supply.
Ask one trusted operator and one people leader what they see from their positions. Their views may expose a floor-level constraint, a workforce consequence, or an assumption the executive has not tested.
Choose the next reversible step and a time to review it. For an irreversible decision, identify the specialist advice and governance approval needed. Confidence grows from a sound process and honest feedback, not from pretending doubt never appears.
Frequently asked questions
Is self-doubt proof someone should not lead?
No. Assess the actual decision and evidence separately from the feeling of doubt.
What does Heather mean by “true north”?
In her post, it is the faith, team, and client-serving purpose she returns to when she second-guesses herself.
What can a CEO do today?
Name one concrete responsibility that matters to the team and follow through on it.
Sources and related reading
The operating example in this article is illustrative and is not a reported client outcome.
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