11/09/2026
There is a leadership experience many local leaders know intimately but may not have had the language to describe.
You are expected to represent the organization—but you are also expected to represent “your people.”
Hold someone accountable, and your loyalty to the community may be questioned.
Explain a cultural norm or local reality, and your alignment with the organization may be questioned.
It can feel as though credibility in one world costs you credibility in the other.
That is what it means to lead between Scylla and Charybdis.
And when you don’t recognize the location, the pressure can pull you into proving, perfecting and performing—trying to convince everyone that you belong and that you can be trusted.
But leadership in this space requires something deeper than choosing a side.
It requires being grounded enough to honour your professional responsibility, use your local intelligence and remain anchored in who you are—even when both sides misunderstand you.
When you can name it, you can navigate it.
Have you ever been dropped off at this location? Tell me how you navigated it.