Courage to Stand Out: Why Waiting Is Costing You More Than You Think
Reflections from a Black Sherpa 29k Club Masterclass with Gisela Abbam, Global Health Leader, Chair, and First Black Female Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council
How to build confidence, credibility, and momentum… especially when being “different” feels like a risk
“Do I have the courage to try something new… or do I sit in self-pity?”
“You don’t need to have everything… you just need to start.”
“Sometimes it’s seconds. Not minutes.”
Most people don’t have a talent problem.
They have a timing problem.
They’re waiting.
Waiting to feel ready.
Waiting to be recognised.
Waiting for someone to open a door.
And while they wait… nothing moves.
Not because they’re not capable.
But because something… experience, self-doubt, uncertainty… has taught them to hesitate.
That’s what this masterclass with Gisela Abbam brought into sharp focus.
Because when you strip away the titles, the accolades, the global influence…
You see something far more important:
A woman who didn’t wait.
The moment that forces a decision
The story didn’t start with success.
It started with disruption.
A car accident.
A diagnosis.
A year off work.
Physical pain.
Mental fatigue.
Uncertainty about what comes next.
Then another blow… a serious health condition that led to losing a kidney.
Two defining moments.
Back-to-back.
And a choice.
“I could either wallow in self-pity… or I could do something about it.”
Most people never get a moment that forces clarity like that.
They stay in the grey.
Drifting.
Tolerating.
Waiting.
Gisela didn’t.
She made a decision:
“I want to be a global health advocate.”
No perfect plan.
No obvious credentials.
No guarantee it would work.
Just clarity.
And then… action.
The lie we tell ourselves about being “ready”
There’s a quiet belief that holds many people back:
“I’ll move when I feel ready.”
Here’s the truth:
You won’t.
Because readiness is not a feeling.
It’s a result.
Gisela didn’t feel ready when she pivoted.
She didn’t feel ready stepping into global roles.
She didn’t feel ready presenting today.
“I still get nervous… but I just do it.”
Confidence isn’t a prerequisite.
It’s something you build by moving.
What actually holds people back
Gisela made this explicit.
It’s not just capability.
It’s internal barriers:
Imposter syndrome
Lack of confidence in our abilities
Uncertainty about our skills
Not being clear on our purpose
Many of us, especially those who’ve had to prove ourselves… feel like we need to have everything in place before we move.
And that hesitation?
It compounds.
When doing everything right still isn’t enough
There was a moment that felt uncomfortably familiar.
Gisela described leading work far beyond her level:
Driving change across an organisation
Leading senior stakeholders
Delivering real impact
She expected progression.
It didn’t come.
“Oh, there’s no promotion.”
No recognition.
No movement.
And this is where many people get stuck.
They internalise it.
But sometimes…
Sometimes you do everything right…
And still don’t get recognised.
The shift is what you do next.
Gisela documented everything.
Built a portfolio.
Presented it externally.
And changed her trajectory.
Why some people stand out (and most don’t)
A simple moment.
A meeting.
Everyone else came to listen.
Gisela came prepared.
With ideas.
With structure.
With perspective.
“You’re the only one who came with something.”
That’s the difference.
Not intelligence.
Not experience.
Preparation.
The skill no one teaches: positioning
Most people have ideas.
Few know how to position them.
Gisela’s approach:
Write simple business cases.
What’s the issue?
Why does it matter?
What’s the opportunity?
How does it align to the organisation’s goals?
What’s the outcome?
That changes how you’re perceived.
From:
➡️ “I have an idea”
to
➡️ “Here’s how this helps us move forward”
First impressions are not neutral
“If you don’t land it the first time… it’s hard to recover.”
Senior leaders are busy.
They make quick judgments.
And those judgments can stick.
Preparation isn’t pressure.
It’s leverage.
The CV truth most people overlook
“Sometimes it’s seconds. Not minutes.”
That’s how long your CV gets.
Gisela adapted:
Led with achievements first
Made impact immediately visible
Invested in refining how she presented herself
The result?
“95% of the time… I get shortlisted.”
Potential gets noticed.
But clarity and visible impact get backed.
You don’t need more - you need to use what you have
There’s a tendency to think:
“I need more experience.”
“I need another qualification.”
Sometimes.
But often?
You already have more than you’re using.
Gisela leveraged:
Her background
Her network
Cultural insight
Preparation
And created impact.
You may not have everything yet.
But you likely have more than you’re using.
Master your craft
One of the clearest messages from her slides:
Invest time in mastering your craft.
That means:
Understanding the role or career you want
Knowing the key players in that space
Learning how decisions get made
Studying what good looks like
This is not passive.
It’s intentional.
The overlooked accelerator: board experience
Gisela strongly encouraged something many people leave too late:
Start earlier.
Board roles, even at charity level… build:
Leadership capability
Strategic thinking
Governance experience
They signal something powerful:
You operate beyond your job title.
For those wondering where to begin, Gisela highlighted organisations like Inclusive Boards as a strong entry point… particularly for people stepping into board roles for the first time.
They help translate your existing experience into board-level capability, connect you to opportunities, and guide you through the process.
And importantly… they’re not the only ones.
There is a growing ecosystem of organisations, recruiters and networks doing important work to open up access, increase diversity, and create real pathways into board-level roles.
The opportunity is there.
Not always evenly distributed.
Not always easy to access.
But increasingly visible for those willing to explore it.
And where you can step into it…
It accelerates you.
Mentors, sponsors and networks
Her summary was clear:
Find a mentor
Be a mentor
Join networks aligned to where you want to go
And don’t just stay in your lane.
Spend time with people:
Who challenge your thinking
Who are building ideas
Who are trying to make change
Because growth rarely happens in isolation.
Why some people get supported
This was simple.
People respond to movement.
Passion
Initiative
Follow-through
“They’ve tried. Then I’ll help.”
Potential matters.
But visible effort builds trust.
Purpose isn’t soft - it’s fuel for courage
One of the most powerful, and unexpected threads running through the session was this:
Courage doesn’t just come from discipline.
It comes from purpose.
Gisela was clear on her own:
Making a difference to the lives of others.
And that clarity shaped how she showed up… especially in moments where she felt uncertain, underqualified, or stretched.
She referenced a quote often attributed to Mother Teresa:
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
That idea matters more than it sounds.
Because when your work connects to something beyond you:
You stop overthinking every move
You become less concerned with perfection
You’re more willing to take risks
You stay in the game longer
You move differently.
And that’s where courage starts to show up.
Stop waiting for a path - start building one
Gisela reinforced this with one of her favourite quotes:
“I will not follow where the path may lead…
I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail.”
That’s not just a mindset.
It’s a strategy.
Because many of the people in the room… and many reading this, are navigating spaces where:
the path isn’t always clear
the rules aren’t always written
and the examples don’t always look like them
Waiting for clarity can become another form of waiting.
So the shift becomes:
➡️ Don’t wait to see the path
➡️ Start testing your way forward
That might look like:
Exploring a board role before you feel ready
Writing about a space you want to move into
Reaching out to someone you don’t yet feel “qualified” to speak to
Bringing ideas forward before you’re asked
Not because you’re certain.
But because you’re moving.
The connection most people miss
Purpose → Movement → Courage
Not the other way around.
You don’t wait to feel courageous to act.
You act in alignment with something that matters to you…
And courage builds from there.
Six key steps to stand out
Gisela summarised her approach clearly:
Find a mentor - and mentor others
Join networks aligned to where you want to go
Invest time in mastering your craft
Develop leadership through board experience
Surround yourself with people building ideas
Develop a positive attitude to life
Simple.
Not easy.
The reality leaders are navigating
A question surfaced during the session:
Do we still need to focus on EDI?
It’s a real tension.
This isn’t about abandoning the work.
It’s about doing it in a way that creates real change.
At its core:
What behaviours do we reward?
What standards do we uphold?
Courage isn’t just personal.
It shows up in how we navigate difficult conversations.
Why this matters
When courage is missing:
People stay quiet
Ideas never surface
Talent goes unseen
And for individuals:
You wait too long
You question your value
You miss opportunities
When courage is activated:
People step forward
Conversations open
Opportunities are created
The Black Sherpa 29k Club difference
This is why the 29k Club exists.
To help people build:
Clarity — understanding how things really work
Confidence — through exposure and action
Community — people who support and challenge you
Because sometimes…
You don’t need more knowledge.
You need a different perspective.
Leadership challenge
Be honest.
Where might you be waiting instead of moving?
What have you done that you haven’t fully positioned?
Who could you reach out to… that you haven’t yet?
Pick one.
Act on it.
Now.
Climb steady 🖤
I’m Yam – Founder of The Black Sherpa
Founder | Strategist | Speaker | Host of The Black Sherpa Podcast
I founded The Black Sherpa to create a world where talent rises on merit and no one’s potential is held back by bias or barriers.
Through bold strategy, storytelling, and our flagship community, The 29k Club - I help professionals grow with confidence and support leaders to build cultures that truly live their values.
Let’s connect and build a future where inclusion powers performance, and leadership reflects the world we serve.