“Boldness is not
about the size of
your voice. It is
about the strength
of your purpose.”
Be Bold:
Finding My
Voice Around
the Table
Chief Administrative Officer, Township of Uxbridge;
Board Director, Tantalus Systems (TSX: GRID) and Efficiency One
SEPTEMBER 7, 2026
The first time I sat at a boardroom table, I did not say a word.
The conversation moved quickly. Seasoned executives traded acronyms like currency, referencing strategies and frameworks I only half understood. I nodded when others nodded. I had worked hard to earn that seat, but in that moment, I felt small. I told myself I was learning. In truth, I was hiding.
What I did not know then was that boldness is not always loud. Sometimes it begins in silence. In the gathering of courage. In the pause before the leap. Be Bold is not a single act. It is a practice you return to, especially when it would be easier not to.
A few years later, I found myself at another table. Again, I was the only woman. The only public sector voice. The youngest person in the room. The discussion centered on a major project that had started to drift. The slides were polished. The numbers looked reassuring. But something did not sit right.
No one was asking the hard questions.
Where was the risk register?
What were the mitigation plans?
Why was the burn rate not being discussed?
I hesitated. That familiar voice crept in. Do not push too hard. You are the only one asking.
But this time, boldness spoke louder.
I leaned forward and asked anyway.
The room went quiet. A few brows furrowed. Papers shuffled. Then the conversation shifted. We began talking about accountability. About transparency. About the systems meant to protect not just the project, but the people behind it.
It was not comfortable. But it was necessary.
That moment changed how I lead.
I learned that being bold does not always mean challenging vision. Sometimes it means challenging process. It is not about questioning competence. It is about protecting trust. And how you show up in those moments matters just as much as the questions you ask.
Finding your voice is one thing. Using it with intention is another.
True boldness is not about calling people out. It is about calling people in. When we acknowledge the expertise in the room, we build trust. When we ask thoughtful questions, we strengthen decisions. When we bring together technical, operational, and human perspectives, the work improves for everyone involved.
Over time, I have learned that every table tells a story.
Some are polished oak.
Some are folding plastic.
Some are virtual grids of faces on a screen.
But every table needs brave voices. And it needs room.
I have watched too many talented people pull their chairs in quietly, unsure if they belong. Now, whenever I am at a table, whether it is council, a board, or my kitchen, I make a point of turning to the quietest person and asking, What do you think?
Because boldness is contagious. When one person speaks with clarity and courage, it gives permission for others to do the same.
I have come to see Be Bold not as an instruction, but as an invitation.
Be bold enough to walk into rooms where decisions are made and stay there even when you are uncomfortable.
Be bold enough to challenge assumptions and humble enough to listen deeply.
Be bold enough to lead with heart, measuring success not only in outcomes, but in people.
Be bold enough to use your seat not as a status symbol, but as a platform for progress.
The tables I sit at today look different from the ones I started at. But the purpose has not changed. To build. To connect. To serve. And sometimes, to remind others that leadership does not always sound like the loudest voice in the room.
Sometimes it sounds like truth, spoken at the right moment, in the right tone, for the right reason.
So what does Be Bold mean to me?
It means walking into a room with the quiet conviction that your voice matters and using it not for power, but for progress.
It means pulling up a chair for those who have not yet been invited.
It means choosing courage over comfort, again and again, until authenticity becomes your loudest language.
Because boldness is not about the size of your voice.
It is about the strength of your purpose.