Holding On, Letting Go, Finding More

Early in Georgetown University’s Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching program, we were asked to develop a coaching declaration, a concise statement of who we commit to being as coaches and how we intend to show up for others.

I’m on my seventh version since October 2025.

Creating it was harder than I expected. But each revision has brought greater clarity about the coach and leader I want to be. 

Heraclitus is credited with the observation that we never step into the same river twice. Experience changes us. Formation changes us. The question is whether we are driving change or the change is driving us. 

Revising my declaration led me to three questions:

What do I want to hold on to?What do I need to let go of?What do I want to find more of?

They sound simple. But if we’re honest, the answers can clarify how we want to lead differently.

My answers today:

Hold on to: Discipline and values

Let go of: Ego, fear of uncertainty, and the need to have all the answers

Find more of: Curiosity, better questions, and time for deeper connections

What are you holding on to, letting go of, and trying to find more of?

I created a short Google Form and included my own responses. Feel free to add yours.

I also host a monthly Zoom conversation with a small group of leaders. These questions and the themes that emerge from the responses will be the focus of our September conversation. If you’d like to join us, let me know.