A Journey Through Reinvention and Leadership
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
By Aja Chavez, LMFT, LPCC
VP of Adolescent Services at Mission Prep Healthcare
I spent the first half of my career believing that leadership meant having all the answers. I thought being strong meant never showing doubt, and that helping others required me to fix their problems. Midlife has taught me something different. It has shown me that the most profound transformations often come not from what we achieve, but from what we're willing to let go.
As I've moved into my current role, I've discovered that reinvention isn't about becoming someone new. It's about finally becoming yourself.
What reinvention surprised you most?
The biggest surprise was learning that vulnerability could be my greatest
leadership asset. For years, I kept my struggles private. I believed that sharing my own moments of uncertainty would undermine my credibility as a clinician and leader. I was wrong.
When I started leading a team of mental health professionals, I realized something fundamental. The same principles I used with clients, helping them embrace vulnerability and resilience, needed to apply to my own leadership. I began sharing my learning moments with my team. I admitted when I didn't know something. I talked openly about the challenges of balancing compassion with boundaries.
The response shocked me. My team didn't see weakness. They saw permission to be human. Our culture shifted. People started bringing their whole selves to work. They took more risks. They innovated. They trusted each other more deeply. The very thing I feared would diminish my authority actually strengthened it.
This reinvention required me to unlearn years of conditioning about what leadership should look like. It meant recognizing that the armor I'd built to protect myself was actually keeping me from connecting with the people I was meant to serve.
How does leadership evolve with age?
Early in my career, I led with answers. Now I lead with questions. I used to measure success by how many problems I could solve. Today, I measure it by how many people I can empower to find their own solutions.
Age brings perspective. You've seen enough cycles to know that very few situations are truly urgent.
You've experienced enough failures to understand they're not fatal. You've weathered enough storms to trust that calm will return. This perspective creates space for more thoughtful, intentional leadership.
I've also learned that leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It's about creating an environment where everyone's intelligence can flourish. My role isn't to have the best clinical insights anymore. It's to build systems and cultures where my team can do their best work.
The integration of my clinical background with my leadership role has deepened over time. CBT teaches us to examine our thinking patterns. DBT emphasizes radical acceptance. Solution-focused therapy reminds us to build on strengths rather than fixate on problems. These aren't just therapeutic approaches anymore. They're how I lead.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell her to stop waiting for permission. Stop believing that more credentials or more experience will finally make you ready. You're ready now.
I would tell her that the messy, complicated parts of your story are not detours from your purpose. They are your purpose. Every struggle you've faced has prepared you to help someone else through theirs. Don't hide those experiences. They're your greatest teaching tools.
I would tell her to trust her instincts more and other people's expectations less. The path that looks right on paper isn't always the path that's right for you. Listen to that quiet voice inside that knows what matters.
Most importantly, I would tell her that leadership isn't a destination you arrive at. It's a practice you commit to. Some days you'll do it well. Some days you won't. That's not failure. That's being human. And being human is exactly what the people you serve need most.
Midlife has given me something I didn't have in my twenties or thirties. It's given me the courage to lead from my truth rather than from my fears. That's the reinvention that matters most.
Connect With Aja
Comments