By Bernard Kelvin CLIVE
There comes a point in every leader’s journey when you begin to reflect on the path you’ve walked, the spaces you’ve shaped, and the people who have grown because you showed them a way.
That reflection is what inspired this message — positioning, pioneering, leading in your field, and helping others rise. These four pillars have guided most of my work over the past decade, especially within the areas of digital publishing, podcasting, personal branding, and now AI technologies.
For years I’ve watched how industries evolve. I’ve seen how a simple idea, a seed planted quietly, can grow into a movement. And one area where this has been very clear is podcasting, especially in West Africa, – Ghana. For some time now, particularly in Ghana, podcasting has taken on a new life. There’s an energy around it. People are excited. New shows are popping up every day. Everyone wants a microphone, a story, and a digital footprint.
What is interesting, and sometimes funny to me, is how often people remind me of the days when podcasting was “nothing.” Anytime I attend a networking meeting or a training program, someone will say, “Oh, BKC… you were talking about podcasting years ago. You were teaching it when nobody cared.” And they are right. I started teaching podcasting ten to fifteen years ago, when it felt like shouting into the wind. There were no massive audiences. No hype. No rush. Just a few curious minds and a handful of people willing to explore something new.
Today, however, podcasting is everywhere. And I smile because this is what pioneering looks like. You see the road long before others notice it. You plant seeds when the ground looks dry. You push ideas that people may not fully value yet. And then one day, the world catches up.
When People Ask, “Why Don’t You Push It Like Before?”
Not long ago, during a meeting, a colleague asked me: “But BKC, why aren’t you pushing podcasting as much anymore? You started it. You were championing it before anyone else. Why not keep dominating it?”
My answer was simple: as a leader or a pioneer, you must know where to stay and where to step back.
You can lead in various areas, but you cannot, and should not, attempt to dominate everything. If you try to lead in every direction at the same time, you’ll drain yourself. You’ll scatter your thoughts, your strategy, and your impact.
Leadership is not about occupying every seat at every table. It’s about choosing the tables where your influence matters most. There are areas where your role is to take the front seat. And there are areas where your job is to guide others, show the way, and then allow them to run with it.
This mindset shaped much of my early work in digital publishing. When I started training people in digital book publishing, it was new in Ghana. Very few understood the process, the platforms, or the opportunities. I ran workshops, coaching programs, and hands-on sessions. I taught authors, pastors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. In fact, many authors today who have built careers through self-publishing passed through my guidance.
Yet even then, I understood something important: your role as a pioneer is not always to keep pushing; sometimes it is to empower. When enough people have absorbed the knowledge and are ready to lead themselves, you allow them to spread their wings. And that doesn’t diminish your contribution — it amplifies it.
The same happened with podcasting. More than half of the churches, ministries, and businesses in Ghana that started podcasting in the early years did so through my coaching and consulting programs. I helped them set up, strategize, and build systems. But when I saw the movement growing, when I saw new faces rising, I didn’t feel the need to overshadow them. That is maturity in leadership — knowing when to step forward and when to step aside.
Choosing your leadership domains and knowing where to stand
One of the most important decisions any thought leader or entrepreneur must make is choosing where to place their energy. You cannot hold every field. You cannot lead every movement. And you cannot build every system. The strength of positioning is knowing where you matter most and where your voice carries the greatest weight.
So, when people ask me why I am not aggressively pushing podcasting now, the answer is simple:
I’ve already done the foundational work.
I’ve led.
I’ve taught.
I’ve guided.
And now others can run with it.
This is the beauty of pioneering. You enter before others. You create a path. You make the mistakes. You understand the terrain. And once you build enough confidence and clarity, you begin to pull people along. But after a while, you must allow them to rise, to own parts of the space, to experiment and grow. Because if you try to occupy everything, you will end up limiting both yourself and the people you are meant to empower.
Leadership is not about total dominion
Some people have the mindset that leadership means taking complete control of a field. They want to own a space so fully that nothing moves without them. But I’ve learned that true leadership doesn’t function like that. True leadership is influence, not possession.
You position yourself as a guide. You become a reference. You serve as the one who shows direction. You train. You mentor. And then you allow others to build from the foundation you’ve laid.
You don’t have to dominate the entire landscape to be recognized as a leader. You simply need to stand firmly in your area of strength and allow your work to speak for you.
There will always be new players. New voices. New innovators. And that is good. It means the field is growing. It means the knowledge is spreading. It means your contribution has sparked a chain reaction. That alone is legacy.
So instead of forcing yourself to be everywhere, you create focus. You choose your domain and build excellence there.
Knowing what to master and what to guide
Every leader has two categories of influence:
- Fields you personally master and lead actively.
- Fields you guide others through without needing to dominate.
This balance keeps you productive, relevant, and mentally healthy.
For example, at this stage of my journey, AI technologies have become one of my core fields. I’ve spent the past few years teaching authors, entrepreneurs, and brands how to prepare for the next decade. How to position themselves for innovation. How to harness emerging tools. And just like podcasting years ago, most people didn’t pay attention at first. But slowly, the awareness is rising.
This is how industries evolve. Quiet beginnings. Few early adopters. Then an explosion of interest.
But even with AI, I understand something: I don’t have to own the entire AI conversation. My focus is clear — helping African authors, brands, and professionals see the future and position themselves early. That is my lane. That is where I lead.
The rest? I leave room for others.
A leader who tries to control everything becomes a bottleneck. A leader who guides becomes a blessing.
I’ve seen the joy in watching people I once coached rise into their own space. Some are running successful podcast shows. Some are teaching others. Some are training organizations. Whenever I see this, I feel satisfied because it means my work is multiplying.
Your impact grows bigger when other people succeed because of something you taught or inspired. You don’t need applause. You don’t need constant recognition. The results speak for you.
I’ve always believed that real influence is not loud. It shows up through the lives you’ve touched quietly. Through the opportunities you’ve created. Through the people who are building today because you planted something years ago.
And this is where many leaders struggle. They want the spotlight all the time. They want the praise. They want the visible crown. But leadership requires humility — the humility to guide, support, and sometimes stay behind the scenes while others run ahead.
And the quiet work of opening doors
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that pioneering is not a title — it’s work. It’s quiet work. It’s the kind of work where you plough the ground when nobody is watching. You invest when there is no applause. You guide people when they are not even sure what they are looking for. You speak into the future when everyone else is only focused on the present.
That is the heart of pioneering: laying foundations that other people can stand on with confidence.
When I look at how podcasting has taken shape across the region, I feel fulfilled, not because my name is attached to it, but because I know that at one point, when it seemed irrelevant, I was one of the few voices saying, “Pay attention. This thing will grow.” And today, seeing podcasters in Ghana, Botswana, and beyond thrive makes me smile quietly. Not everything needs noise (check my book ‘The Silence Advantage’). Not every impact needs a headline.
The same applies to digital publishing. So many authors started because they attended one of my early sessions. Some didn’t even believe in their writing. Others had manuscripts gathering dust. And all they needed was someone to say, “Let’s try. Let’s do this.” Today, many of them have books, platforms, and influence because of a simple nudge.
This is the essence of legacy — helping people find their strength, their voice, their direction.
Allowing others to own the space
When new faces come up strong in the podcasting industry or the publishing world, I’m genuinely excited. When I see them training others, speaking boldly, running workshops, building communities, I know the work is multiplying. And that is the point.
As a leader, you must learn to release people into their space. You cannot and should not own every corner. At some point, you move from being the main voice to being the foundation others rely on. You provide the push. You offer the clarity. Then you allow the next generation to take it further.
Some fields you dominate. Others you simply direct people to. You do not need to sit at the top of every mountain you help create. Sometimes your reward is knowing you lifted someone else to climb.
Open the door quietly and step aside boldly
This may sound unusual, but it’s important:
You don’t always have to be the one in the limelight.
There are seasons where your work is visible, bold, and in front. And there are seasons where your work is quiet, subtle, and hidden. And both seasons are equally important.
Sometimes your greatest strength is the ability to open a door quietly, let others walk through, and then step aside boldly without feeling threatened or forgotten.
That is maturity.
That is leadership.
That is legacy.
The beautiful thing is this: when you build people well, your name stays longer than any spotlight could keep you. Not because you shouted the loudest, but because you built structures, systems, and confidence in others. That kind of impact doesn’t fade.
To the thought leader, business builder, or creative reading this
There will always be new ideas, new innovations, and new spaces emerging. And you might feel the urge to chase everything. But choose your fields wisely. Know where your strength lies. Know where you must lead. And know where you must guide others and release them.
You don’t lose anything by helping others grow. In fact, you gain something far more valuable — legacy.
So take your place as a pioneer. Lead where you are gifted. Guide where you are called. Build foundations others can build on. And be at peace knowing that sometimes the greatest leaders are not the ones people see at the top, but the ones who quietly helped others get there.
The future belongs to those who are willing to lead with clarity, position themselves with wisdom, and pioneer with purpose.
Thank you for walking this journey with me.
Let me hear from you regarding your branding and book publishing needs.
The best is yours.
Bernard Kelvin Clive is a leading authority on personal branding and digital book publishing in Africa.
Provided by zaianews. (zaianews.com).