What I do believe though, paid opportunities to grow ourselves, are few and far between. So, instead of waiting for it to happen, I'd rather be active and see if I can influence outcomes, as even if it doesn't work, at least I have agency and some control over the directions I take each day.

While I believe that leadership is about influence and growth is a process that requires constant interactions with others so we see what is lacking and where we need to improve, I also believe there are times when you just have to be up and doing, making things happen in our small niche, and with time we gather much experience both to lead, influence and interact which ultimately leads to a substantial amount of growth.