Making Space for Struggle Without Losing Your Shine
- D. Nichole Davis
- Sep 22, 2025
- 2 min read
High performers rarely get told the truth: the struggle doesn’t disappear just because you’re winning. It waits in the quiet moments between recognition and responsibility.
For years, I tried to live in two separate worlds. In one, I was the leader—confident, capable, unshakable. In the other, I tucked away exhaustion, doubt, and pain as if leadership had no room for them. That separation never worked. Life refuses to be boxed neatly. The struggle always makes its way to the surface.
Sometimes it shows up as fatigue you can’t recover from.
Sometimes it’s your focus vanishing halfway through a meeting.
Sometimes it’s showing up for everyone except yourself.
I have led through all of it. And here’s the truth: struggle doesn’t diminish your shine. It defines it.
Struggle sharpens your empathy because you know what it feels like to fight quietly. It strengthens your intuition because you learn to read more than words. It grounds you because hardship makes you pay attention to what actually matters.
The goal is not to erase the struggle or hide it. The goal is to lead with it, letting it inform how you show up. Struggle and brilliance can coexist. Humanity and excellence can, too.
You don’t need perfection to be powerful. You need honesty. You need presence. You need the courage to be both gifted and human in front of the people you lead.
This week’s reflection:
What would it look like to stop hiding the hard parts of your journey?
How might your leadership expand if you gave yourself permission to carry both strength and struggle?
👉 If your team needs permission to bring their full selves to leadership, I can help design a workshop that makes space for excellence without erasing the struggle.
Contact me at nichole@dnicholedavis.com or click here to schedule your FREE 15-minute discovery call.
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