Something Is in The Room

I don’t normally take the last flight of the night. It feels too risky. If the flight is canceled, I have to go home and wait another day. But in this case, it worked out.

My 9 pm flight was on time. When I landed, I got an Uber. My driver, John, confirmed my destination. He then said, “I assume you did your research before booking your hotel?”

My heart dropped; it was late, and I just wanted a good night's sleep. I replied, “Oh, my client booked the hotel for me. I was hoping it was decent.”

He laughed and said, “It’s really nice! The best hotel in the city for sure, but it is also one of the ten most haunted hotels in the country.”

John had my full attention.

“Please, say more.”

He continued and shared that while he had never stayed there, he had heard many stories. He suggested that I pay attention to what might be happening in my room.

“Noted. Thank you!”

I arrived at the hotel and checked in. John was right; this was a very nice hotel. I was impressed with the décor and the quality of the mattress, and I noticed the furniture had LED motion-sensor lights. If you got up in the middle of the night, you wouldn’t need to turn on a light. What a nice touch.

The walls of this historic hotel were thick, which meant my room was very quiet. And the windows were equipped with multiple curtains, including a blackout layer.

Silence and darkness. It’s the perfect combination to fall asleep and stay asleep.

I got into bed and drifted off; about an hour later, I woke up. Why was my room so bright? Was the sun up? No, the LED lights under the dresser had turned on. Hum. I waited for them to turn off and went back to sleep. Then, an hour later, it happened again.

I guess John was right. I turned on a lamp, got on the floor, and unhooked the LED lights. There may have been something in my room setting the lights off, but that was not a mystery I could solve. However, I could make sure the lights didn’t turn on again!

The truth is, I don’t know if there was something in my hotel that night, but I do know this: something is in the room.

Over the last few months, multiple times, I have walked into a room to facilitate a workshop or give a keynote speech, and I could feel it.

No, I didn’t feel a ghost; I felt the spirit of hope.

Not the kind of hope that says, “I hope we get ice cream for dessert,” or, ”I hope you have a good day.” What I’ve been feeling is a much deeper, transformative kind of hope.

These moments are happening in spaces with leaders – people with genuine power – who are choosing to lead differently. They are wrestling with hard and painful questions. These leaders want to embrace a sense of community, connect with their people, and empower others through their leadership.

For example, I recently said to a group, “Leadership is a two-way gift. Being able to lead is a gift that is given to us, and we give a gift to others by being intentional about how we lead them.” The response was a room full of people who slowly nodded their heads in silent affirmation. They understand this truth.

It’s also a man – about my age – who expressed that he is moving into a new leadership role. His mentor talks about how lonely leadership is, and he is worried that will be his experience, too. My response to him was, “If leadership feels lonely, it’s because you have separated yourself from those you are leading. Leadership happens in community. You can’t separate yourself from your people.” At that moment, the workshop attendees responded with a barely audible “Um-hum.” These leaders get it.

And it’s the young, emerging leader who shared that she knows it is time to leverage her voice, but she is battling imposter syndrome. I replied, “As a leader, please know your presence is more important than your perfection.” Those gathered in our circle looked at each other, exchanging eyebrow raises and knowing glances. They wrestle with this fear too.

Something is happening. It’s a shift, maybe we could call it a leader-shift.

Leaders are moving from power and authority to a human-centered approach. This is noticeable because it’s like that LED light under the dresser: any light in total darkness stands out.

Silence and darkness. It’s the perfect combination to fall asleep and stay asleep, but there is something in the room, and it’s not a ghost. It’s a new approach of human-centered leadership.

Leaders are speaking up and being a light in the darkness. Based on what I am noticing, we are on the verge of an awakening.

Change is coming, and it will be co-created by leaders like you who seek to show up differently.

Pay attention to what is in the room.

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