The Authority in Action, But Not in Title

Part of the Voice I Almost Lost – Blog #2

by Alana Pierre Curry

There is a version of leadership that is so deeply embedded in action, it often goes unnamed.

You do the work. You show up early, stay late. You figure it out when no one else does. You keep things running, hold people together, train new hires, solve problems, and absorb the impact of broken systems… all while someone else gets the title, the salary, and the spotlight.

For most of my adult life, I have carried that kind of leadership. And for just as long, I have watched how easy it is for systems to benefit from it without acknowledging its value.

There were times I was told I wasn’t ready. That the role required “more.” That I had to “prove myself” just a little longer—even after years of proof had already been given. I’ve been the one asked to manage teams without the manager title. The one asked to build something new with little more than belief and grit. And when I delivered—because I always did—my reward was often more responsibility, but not more recognition.

And when I finally did receive the title or the raise or the acknowledgment—it was after someone new came in and simply noticed the obvious. Noticed what had been ignored for years. Noticed the imbalance. Noticed me.

But noticing isn’t the same as honoring. It’s not the same as being seen in real time, without having to shout or plead or outperform to be treated as worthy.

I’ve learned that being “the authority in action” is often a double-edged sword. People trust you to lead, to carry, to fix. But that trust rarely translates to elevation. You become the reliable one. The capable one. The one who will figure it out. And because of that, you’re often overlooked when it comes time to name the next leader—because your excellence has been normalized.

There is a deep, specific exhaustion that comes from always being the glue. From being the answer without ever being asked the question. From knowing that if you left today, the systems you built would still be here… and someone else might be handed the credit.

And still, you lead.

Because leading is not about a title. It never was. But what I’ve come to realize is that titles matter—not because they define you, but because they reflect what others are willing to see in you.

So, this post is not about being bitter. It is about being honest.
It’s about choosing to name what so many of us have experienced in silence.
It’s about honoring the kind of leadership that has been invisible for far too long.

To the ones managing without recognition…
To the ones building programs on underpaid hours…
To the ones constantly passed over but never outperformed…
I see you.

And I am learning to see myself, too—not just through what I produce, but through what I deserve.

I will always give my best. But I’ve also learned that being willing is not the same as being valued.
And at this stage in my life, I will no longer accept leadership without acknowledgment.
Impact without elevation. Responsibility without reciprocity.

I still lead. But now, I do it differently.

This blog is a space where I reflect, tell the truth gently, and make sense of a long journey toward balance, leadership, and life. If it resonates, I’m grateful you’re here.
— Alana