Recently in an interview I found myself sharing stories from my past of reinvention.  I shared how the day I left my law firm for the last time I literally sat on the floor crying clutching my stapler in one hand and my Coach briefcase in the other wondering what would be next.  And yet somehow from that dramatic moment of my own making the path to follow my dreams and become an actor made perfect sense.

Each reinvention from lawyer to actor, actor to writer and now working with leaders to help them grow their presence all had a through line for me: storytelling.

The “through line” is the theme that connects the plot and characters together.  Actors use this to guide bringing characters to life with authentic spontaneity even though as actors we already know the end of the story.

As leaders we have a through line no matter what role we play – it shows up in our purpose, our values, and in the stories we share to inspire our followers to action. We may not know the end of the story but we have a vision of where we want our journey to take us.

While my own reinventions on the surface all seem wildly different, I’ve come to see that each role I have played in my career has helped to bring stories to life that resonate, connect and impact audiences to take action. 

I don’t know the end of my story, but I do know my vision for my path forward includes a personal through line dedicated to storytelling that won’t change – it’s driven my choices and helped me continue to make a difference for others and sustain my values during challenging times. 

In times like these we all will have opportunities to reinvent ourselves, our businesses, and our world – here’s the question to ask yourself as you do: what’s my through line and how will it shape my story and the future?

Outlaw Leaders™ know their through line and follow it with an EDGE: Explore, Dream, Grow & Excite™

I’m an Outlaw Leader - are you?