Leadership Starts Where You Stand
By Mark Calitri
During a recent Friday After 5 in downtown Owensboro, Devon and I stopped to visit with our friend Chris Joslin at his Prayer Stand.
As thousands of people enjoyed live music, visited local businesses, and experienced one of Owensboro's signature community events, Chris was doing what he feels called to do—connecting with people, listening to their stories, and offering encouragement through prayer.
That simple interaction sparked a leadership lesson.
Chris is a successful entrepreneur, but what stood out to me that evening wasn't his business background. It was his commitment to a mission bigger than himself.
He identified an opportunity to serve others and decided to act.
That's leadership.
Too often, people spend their lives waiting for the perfect opportunity. The perfect timing. The perfect invitation.
Meanwhile, opportunities are sitting right in front of them every day.
Leadership isn't always about a title, a position, or a corner office.
Sometimes leadership is recognizing a need and doing something about it.
Chris found a way to use his gifts, his experience, and his passion to impact others. The Prayer Stand is simply the vehicle. The mission is making a difference.
It made me ask a simple question.
What's your Prayer Stand?
What opportunity is sitting right in front of you that you've been overlooking?
Maybe it's mentoring a young employee.
Maybe it's helping a struggling coworker.
Maybe it's coaching a youth team, volunteering in the community, or investing in someone who needs encouragement.
The people who make the greatest impact rarely start with grand plans. They start by taking action where they are.
Chris's Prayer Stand isn't really about a stand.
It's about purpose.
It's about service.
It's about stepping forward when you see an opportunity to help someone else.
Every one of us has been given that opportunity.
The question is whether we'll act on it.
Because leadership isn't about position.
Leadership is recognizing an opportunity to make a difference and choosing to step into it.
Mark Calitri writes about leadership, tourism growth, sports tourism, community development, and the lessons behind The Winning Leadership Playbook™. As President and CEO of Visit Owensboro, he shares practical insights on teamwork, accountability, resilience, and creating impact in business and life.
Learn more about Mark Calitri, leadership, tourism, and The Winning Leadership Playbook™ here: Mark Calitri's official blog
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