When Integrity Means Starting Over: Leadership at the Threshold

A few months ago, I wrote about what happens “When Leadership and Integrity Collide.” For me, that collision meant walking away from a role and a company that no longer aligned with my values.  What I didn’t say then, and what I want to admit now, is what happens after integrity.

You find yourself at zero.

• No projects.

• No clear revenue.

• A voice in your head whispering scarcity instead of abundance.

It’s not easy to write that, but I know I’m not the only one who’s been here. Every leader I’ve ever worked with eventually faces this moment: when the old path is gone, and the new one hasn’t revealed itself yet.

It feels like failure.

It feels terrifying.

But I’ve come to see it as something else.

It’s a threshold.

The in-between space where identity dissolves. Where achievement no longer defines you. Where you discover what really matters, not because it looks good on a resume, but because it gives you life.

When I looked back at the times I felt most alive in my work, the answer wasn’t about titles or scale. It was when I was helping leaders find clarity in chaos, coaching them through inflection points, or telling stories that reminded us of something bigger than ourselves.

That’s the seed I’m planting now.

If you’re standing at your own threshold; whether in business, leadership, or life … try this:

Don’t ask, “What’s my next project?”

Ask instead, “What can’t I not do?”

Darren Gold, a mentor of mine at The Trium Group, recently challenged me with a truth I keep returning to: sometimes leadership isn’t about more hustle or sharper strategy. Sometimes it’s about standing still long enough to hear the quieter voice that says: this is the way forward.