They showed up - ready to run.
But stayed across the street, watching.
Why?...

At this point, we have grown into the largest non-coastal run club in the country. Hundreds of runners weekly. Thousands each year. It’s wild. But with that growth came something unexpected. It came from the runners who showed up but didn’t quite step in.

I would see them at street corners. Across the street. Hanging back a few feet from the crowd. You could tell they were ready to run; they were in gear, warming up, watching us, but something held them back. Call it nerves, insecurity, or unfamiliarity. They didn’t need a lecture. They just needed a reason to know this was for them.

So I started sending out to those corners.

No pressure. No performance checklist. Just:
“Hey, come on in. I am happy you’re here.”

That was it. And better yet, it worked -- Every time.

Those quiet invitations brought people into the fold. People who are now regulars. Leaders. Friends. The only thing they were missing? A nudge. A little humanity.

And it made me think of how often we miss this in other spaces?

At work, at home, in church, or a friend group situation, someone checks out. Stops speaking up. Fades into the background. They’re still showing up, just… from the edges.

It’s easy to focus on the people in front. The loudest, the fastest, the ones already bought in. But real leadership notices the ones who are nearby but hesitant. It says:
You’re seen. You’re welcome. You matter—even if you haven’t jumped in yet.

This doesn’t take a big gesture. Just a moment of awareness. A hallway check-in. A message that says, “I would love to have you involved, if and when you’re ready.”

Because leadership that lasts isn’t built on constant momentum.
It’s built on belonging. And belonging takes time.

So whatever team you’re leading -- don’t forget the corners. The quiet ones. The watchers.

Just leave the lights on.
They might be waiting for a reason to step in.

-- --
Where They Follow - A passage from a book I never wrote
"Leave the Lights On"