Leaders Don’t Ask for Permission to Lead

And Why I’m Done Asking for Permission

I always have the most anxiety when I’m trying to debate if I have permission or authority to speak up about a topic. I overthink it—whether in my personal life or at work—because I don’t want to overstep some invisible boundary. But lately, as I’m wrestle with and get more comfortable in my being, the quote “Leaders don’t ask for permission to lead” keeps been popping up like the subscribe to my newsletter button when you are in the middle of a good read (see below for example lol).

I work in marketing for a 104-year-old company in a traditional industry. I’m their first-ever Marketing Manager. And when I say traditional think oil, chemicals, logistics (truly committed to this tortured poet lifestyle, ik).

Historically, marketing to them has meant ordering swag and managing bad reviews—that’s it. Their world has always been relationship-driven transactions, so I don’t blame them. But that’s not what marketing is in today’s world.

To me, marketing is about building something from the ground up—creating a foundation where there wasn’t one before. I’m not just running campaigns or pushing out content; I’m shaping a narrative in an industry that has never prioritized marketing. It’s about connecting with the right audience, building trust, and driving real impact.

And I know—to people outside the corporate marketing world—it might sound fluffy and fake. But I do this shxt for real.

It’s not just about selling—it’s about strategy, relationships, and understanding what people truly need. It’s about crafting messages that resonate, inform, and inspire. Mix this belief with my personality (an obsessive creative that feels EVERYTHING so deeply), I cannot help sharing better ways to do things.

Now, under a new leader who’s asking for the brutal facts about where our MarCom team stands, I find myself second-guessing whether I should speak up. Am I allowed to be brutally honest? Is the invisible line I keep seeing actually real, or is it just a reflection of how I perceive my position?

I know I have the expertise to weigh in. But do I have the authority?

And then I ask myself—am I only hesitating because of my age? My gender? My race?

It’s not imposter syndrome. God freed me from that mindset last year. (At least, I think He did.) I know I deserve to be here. But do I deserve this voice? This platform?

It’s easy in theory to say, “Yes! Speak up. Be bold.” But people like you until they don’t. Until you decide to break the mold. And not everyone likes mold breakers.

Maybe you’re someone who says, F a 9-5. But I’m not. I actually like what I do. My job isn’t my personality or my end goal, but it’s part of how I plan to get there.

Yet, despite my doubts, one thing remains true:

I have always had a visceral need to act. To speak up. And I’m tired of fighting it.

Most of the things I tend to doubt if I should speak up about, I’m the expert in the room on. I went to school for this, lived and breathed it from supporting individual clients to small businesses, to corporate level companies. I’ve been in the field!

I’m not the “let’s wait and see what others say” type. I’m not the “I see the problem and know the solution but keep it to myself” type.

I’m a visionary and an executioner.

And I don’t need permission to be a leader—because it’s what I’ve always been.

So, what about you? How many times have you second-guessed whether you have the right to speak up, to lead, to challenge the norm? The truth is—you don’t need permission. Authority isn’t always given; sometimes, it’s claimed. If you know your value, if you see a better way, if you feel that urge to step up—do it.