When titles fall: the leadership that remains

LIFT Newsletter 015

Read Time: 5 minutes

Content: Identity, resilience, breakdown, leadership from within

When Titles Fall, What Remains of You?

Imagine this: the company you co-founded, poured your life into, and built from scratch… is suddenly no longer yours to lead.

That was the reality for Derek Tan, Co-Founder of Viddsee.

Stepping down wasn’t just a career change. It was an identity shift. For years, his title and role were inseparable from who he thought he was. Losing it felt like losing himself.

But Derek’s story isn’t about defeat. It’s about rediscovery.

From Breakdown to Breakthrough

In our conversation, Derek shared the raw truth of what happens when leadership titles are stripped away. The self-doubt. The emptiness. The question that keeps circling in the silence: “Who am I without this?”

And then slowly, the rebuilding.

For Derek, resilience came not from pushing harder, but from going inward. He rediscovered the values that had always driven him: creativity, integrity, service. He learned to lead not from a role, but from alignment with who he truly is.

It wasn’t easy. But it was real.

Why This Matters for You

Here’s the thought leadership truth:

You don’t need to wait for a breakdown to build inner clarity.

Inner strength is not just for the bad times.

• When you’re up, it grounds you in purpose and shapes how you lead, so success doesn’t run away with your ego.

• When you’re down, it shortens the time it takes to recover, rebuild, and move forward with resilience.

  
  

Waiting until you’re forced to face yourself is the long, painful road. Doing the work of self-awareness now is the smart, strategic one.

Your Reflection This Week

Ask yourself:

1. If I lost my current title tomorrow, what would remain of me as a leader?

2. Do my values show up in how I lead today, or only in what I say?

3. Am I preparing myself inwardly for the inevitable ups and downs of leadership?

Watch Derek’s Story

Derek’s vulnerability and honesty reminded me why LIFT exists: to help leaders build the kind of clarity and self-trust that carry them through any season.

📺 Watch the full interview with Derek Tan

💪🏼 When you are ready to build your inner muscles of clarity and strength, LIFT From Within Mastercourse is here to turbo charge you.

Because whether we’re up or down, the leader we become depends on the clarity we build today.

Lead Beyond Yourself. Rise Beyond Limits

With belief in your growth,

Cassandra & the LIFT Team