When I first set out to write Insight, I thought I was writing a book about resilience—about the strength it takes to rise above limitations, trauma, and adversity. But the deeper I journeyed into the process, the more I realized that I was also writing a personal reflection on leadership—not as a position, but as a mindset, a calling, and a responsibility.
My path has been anything but conventional. I grew up in a refugee camp after surviving civil war in Liberia. I’ve lived with polio since age five. I didn’t start formal education until I was ten. But even in the darkest moments, I held onto a vision that life could be more than survival. That clarity—of thought, of hope, of responsibility—is the root of my leadership philosophy.
Leadership Is First Personal
One of the first insights that writing helped me clarify is this: leadership begins with how we lead ourselves. Before we can inspire others, we must master the discipline of thought, emotion, and action. We must develop the habit of seeing possibilities where others see limits, and we must cultivate the grit to pursue those possibilities when the path is long and uncertain.
Leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence. It’s about being rooted in purpose, even when the ground shifts beneath your feet.
Vision Without Action Is Just a Dream
In Insight, I write about what I call “the mindset beyond survival.” It’s a mindset that doesn’t just accept life as it is, but seeks to shape it through clarity, discipline, and imagination. That same principle applies to leadership. A true leader is not just someone with good ideas—they are someone who takes responsibility to act.
In a world flooded with talk, we need more doers—people who aren’t afraid to take the first step, even when the finish line isn’t yet visible.
Leadership Is Service, Not Spotlight
There is a quiet strength in leadership that doesn’t seek attention but seeks impact. In every chapter of my book, I tried to highlight how leadership is revealed in moments of decision, of sacrifice, and of courage—not just in titles or platforms.
Some of the greatest leaders I have met were not public figures. They were teachers, nurses, single parents, and community elders—those who chose to serve, build, and believe in others when it would have been easier to walk away.
The Invitation
I didn’t write Insight because I had all the answers. I wrote it to extend an invitation: to think deeply, live courageously, and lead intentionally.
Whether you’re leading a team, a family, a classroom, or simply leading yourself through a difficult season—know this: leadership is not about where you come from, but where you’re willing to go.
Let your story become your strategy. Let your scars become your strength. And above all, lead with conviction, not convenience.
Insight: Cultivating the Mindset Beyond Survival is available now on Amazon. I hope it speaks to the leader in you.
#Leadership #InsightBook #MindsetMatters #PurposeDriven #FromSurvivalToVision
By Richmond Appleton
Author of Insight: Cultivating the Mindset Beyond Survival
Author of Insight: Cultivating the Mindset Beyond Survival
