You don’t have to have it all figured out [Leading Forward]

April 20, 2026  |  By Kyra Shahid 
Part of the "Leading Forward: Leadership Insights with Dr. Kyra" blog series

There’s a particular kind of pressure that shows up around this time in the semester. You might feel it in conversations with friends. In questions from family. Even in quiet moments with yourself.

What’s next?
Am I on the right path?
Do I have everything figured out yet?

Somewhere along the way, many students start to believe that by now, they should have a clear plan. But life has taught me that leadership doesn’t always require certainty. It requires direction.

Certainty says, "I need to see the entire path before I begin." Direction says, "I know what matters to me, and I’m willing to take the next step in the direction of my dream."

One keeps you stuck. The other keeps you moving. Forward ever, backwards never as Seinabo Sey says. Think about it like this, you don’t need a perfect map to move forward. You just need a compass. A map tells you exactly where to go. A compass keeps you aligned with what matters, even when the path changes.

As Trotter and MESA are merging it is clear that we do not have a roadmap. There is not a singular predetermined path that we must take. There is direction and a rich history and set of core work and values that we must stay aligned with, even as our path changes.

As college students, it’s easy to build your life like a map, structured, planned, and based on what you think you should do. What you saw at the present moment that seemed like the right direction to go. What appeared. What was visible. What seemed reachable.

But plans change. Interests evolve. Opportunities shift.

Direction that is grounded in your values, your curiosity, your sense of purpose will carry you further than certainty ever could. Knowing who you are, makes who you are worth knowing and the direction your purpose takes you into–worth going. So if you don’t have everything figured out right now, that’s not a failure. It’s an invitation. An invitation to listen more closely, to move more intentionally, and to trust that clarity can grow as you do. If you’ve been following our merge journey, you recognize that we’ve extended these invitations to our community as we follow the direction of our alignment. Questions you may consider on your own personal journey might include:

• What direction feels right to you right now, even if the full plan isn’t clear?
• Where are you waiting for certainty instead of taking a step?
• How might exploration give you more clarity for your destination?

You don’t need the whole plan. Just the courage to begin.

— Know who you are. Then Lead Forward.

Dr. Kyra