The Sacrifices No One Sees: How True Leadership Begins
- Scott Mason
- May 19
- 5 min read
If you're anything like I was, you think you already know what sacrifice means.
You’ve given up time. You’ve given up sleep. You’ve given up evenings, weekends, and vacations. You’ve made hard calls. Missed holidays and anniversaries (I, for instance, missed my spouse's 50th birthday). Skipped workouts. Let go of opportunities. All in the name of your work, your clients, your team, your mission.
But let me tell you something most attorneys -- and many other professionals, too -- never realize until it’s too late: those sacrifices, though real, aren’t the ones that hold us back.
The most important sacrifices leaders need to make are internal. And they are also the ones most people avoid at all costs.
The Mythic Truth About Sacrifice
In ancient Greece, sacrifice wasn’t just transactional. It was sacred. A hero would give something up not because it was convenient, but because it signaled a rebirth. A transformation. A recognition that if they wanted to reach the next level, they had to become someone worthy of it.
Today, we’re taught to grind. To outwork and outproduce every single person around us. To measure ourselves by performance metrics, billable hours, KPIs, and ever-increasing goals. We think sacrifice is about giving more of our time, our money, our energy. But what if that’s not the sacrifice the universe is actually asking for?
What if the real offering is something inside of you?
My Three Hardest—and Most Transformative—Sacrifices
When my career collapsed — when I lost everything I’d built, overnight — I finally saw the truth.
Every time I had stalled. Every time I’d failed. Every time I found myself trapped in a cycle I couldn’t break ... I was clinging to something inside me that needed to be sacrificed. Not another vacation. Not another night of rest.
But something deeper. Something harder. Something far more costly.
Here’s what I ultimately had to give up:
1. Untrammeled Ego
I had to let go of the need to be seen as the smartest, the most impressive, the infallible expert. My ego wasn’t just bloated; it was brittle. It couldn't admit weakness. It couldn’t learn. And it blocked me from the humility that real leadership demands.
Letting it go felt like death. But it made room for actual growth—and real connection.
2. Fear
Not the obvious kind. I’m talking about the subtle fear that disguised itself as "pragmatism." Fear of change. Fear of stepping into bigger arenas. Fear of becoming the leader I secretly knew I could be. Fear that I wasn’t enough.
Sacrificing fear meant staring it in the face, acknowledging it, and taking action anyway. Not once. Not twice. But over and over, until bravery became a habit.
3. Attachment to Outcomes
I used to believe that if I did everything "right," success would follow. That good behavior earned rewards. That hard work entitled me to recognition, status, stability.
But the world doesn’t work like that. And when I clung to specific outcomes, I distorted my purpose and tied my worth to results I couldn’t control. The moment I released that attachment — and instead focused on who I was becoming — everything changed.
The Sacrifice You Must Choose
There is no path to mythic leadership without sacrifice.
But the things that need to be sacrificed aren’t your health, your joy, your relationships, or your peace. They’re the internal stories you cling to because they’ve made you feel safe — until now.
If you’re hitting invisible walls ... If you feel like you’re doing everything right but not advancing ... If you keep asking yourself, "Why am I still stuck?" Look inward. Ask yourself:
What part of me have I refused to let go of?
What am I unwilling to surrender, even though I know it’s holding me back?
What am I afraid will happen if I stop clinging to who I think I need to be?
Transformational Takeaways
Let’s make this practical. Here’s where you begin:
Audit your inner world. What internal narrative — about yourself, your value, or your expectations — might be undermining your next evolution?
Name your true sacrifice. What core part of your current identity is no longer serving your highest leadership? Be honest.
Create a ritual release. This might sound strange, but leadership is sacred. Write down what you’re releasing. Burn it. Bury it. Speak it aloud. Let yourself mark the transition. You’re not just leading — you’re becoming someone new.
Step Into the Fire
The ancient Greeks knew: the fire of transformation doesn’t just burn. It purifies.
If you want to lead boldly, with purpose, power, and presence: you cannot cling to the parts of you that were never meant to go where you’re heading.
The next level of your impact will cost you. But the cost is worth it.
Sacrifice what no longer serves you. Burn the myths that keep you small. And step forward as the leader only you can become.
Got a leadership myth you’re still battling ... or a sacrifice that changed everything for you? I’d love to hear your story. Drop a comment below or message me directly. Let’s talk about what you’re becoming. Because:
I want your future to be EPIC!
I'm Scott Mason, The Myth Slayer. I am an attorney and former C-Suite executive, coach, speaker, podcaster, and Master of the Mythic. I graduated from Columbia Law School and have spent years drawing on the full depth of a background spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to provide lawyers feeling stuck or stagnant in their careers or as leaders with a unique (and fun!) system to help them live a life that's epic.
Click here to discover more about me, my mission, and how it can help you.
If you've ever said, "I'm capable of more -- and I want it?" ... then download my five-minute self-assessment, and I'll show you how to experience professional rebirth, increase your inspiration, and create a bold impact NOW!
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