Why bother? Note to a weary thought leader.

Radio silence is a message. It's not great when our leaders fall off the map.

The leaders I'm writing to today are pouring into their team, clients, and family - and look like they aren't missing a beat.

The cracks start to show when they stop communicating.

It's okay to pause, of course.

But you've likely heard what boxing trainers say of champions.

Champions are the ones who keep going when they have nothing left to give.

So if you're almost on empty, or already there - don't let your thought leadership fall off entirely. Take a brief pause, then pick up the pen. Here's why.

Those who follow you are in a similar state of being. And they have fewer resources, often more working against them, and less battle experience.

Let's not fall off the map for their sake.

What to say:

Leaders know it's all about focus.

I'm saying to you -?tell them to keep going.

I'm saying to you -?keep going.

Our energy is best spent when directed toward thoughtful action and in service.

If you're worried about inflation, Ukraine, your kids, your revenue:

Remain doggedly optimistic. Calm. Confident that each thing you're concerned about can be moved through.

Tell them to favor action. Remind them about culture, generosity, and to give empowering, gracious responses when pressed.

Tell them to utterly resist fear. Give courage with each interaction. And tell them why (keep reading).

Specifically, what to say:

Share a story of a challenge and a win. They need your stories as their ad-hoc mentor.

That story you share, and vision of what it feels like to prevail, will keep them steady when they don't see how it can get better.

What did it feel like when you couldn't figure it out? Use specifics. We forget vague generalizations.

"It was tough, but we made it."

instead -

"I didn't eat for two days out of worry. I had heartburn that I thought would come through my chest."

This is what you write, when writing seems ridiculous. Share like you would talk with someone you're mentoring.

Take a minute. Stop typing, reading, and Twitter, and think back a handful of years.

You've come a long way. But the leader you were needs to hear from you. Because that leader is following you on LinkedIn. Just a few years behind you, but in a crossroads of a moment. Leading with less experience.

When there were make or break moments. Was it hiring? Was it financial?

What can you tell them right now?

You have to hear this - your advice isn't for everyone or every situation. It will be significant to some. You're writing for them. Just focus there. Otherwise, you'll stop, never write, get discouraged. Whether you're writing about an anti-poverty solution or how to make it through their pre-seed round, get super clear on who you're talking to today, and share a twenty minute thoughtful piece of advice. Even folks who aren't raising startup funds can learn from how you dealt with the hard aspects in the moment.

And we didn't need you to be perfect then. Certainly not now. Get comfortable with the twinges of discomfort of this kind of sharing - it's a gauge for a thought leader - if you don't feel it often, you're likely not nearly as effective in what you are sharing. We remember authentic, and often gritty narratives.

Tell them not to run from discomfort and give up when it gets hard, because it was hard for you too. Why? Sometimes, just sharing tactics is fine. But remember, you're speaking to mentees. If they can't get from you that the season sucked, they are going to think that they're doing it wrong when the discouragement and weariness are massive.

Who has time to pour into the generation of leaders at a breaking point?

You.

You have time. You, with a team and an organization to lead.

20 minutes per week of you typing what you learned walking through challenges, into a LinkedIn newsletter, can change a life.

You, with health problems.

You, with kids and teens and parents.

You.

Don't imagine waiting till there's not a war, no inflation, no massive, right-now problems. You're needed now.

What to do today:

There's a reason I write to you Saturday mornings. It's your day. But the week is still your week.

You lead for a reason - you know how to prioritize what's important.

Write, and hit publish.

It's time to write and #ServeAtScale.

Leaders ask for help when they need to push it past the finish line.

And they also do the thing that few others will do.

Now,?go!