Every colour has its place

Every color has its place. Every voice, a different shade. We’re each a different color in the same masterpiece.

In an office somewhere in Melbourne, this sight stopped me in my tracks. Don't ask me how, but it made me think about Teams. Communities. Families. We often talk about bringing “your whole self” to work, but do we truly make room for all the colors people carry?

In leadership, it’s easy to favor uniformity. Same styles. Same ideas. Same ways of thinking. It feels safer, tidier, more manageable. But real brilliance rarely comes from sameness. More often brilliance comes from contrast. From surprise. From the unexpected edge that one person’s color brings to the palette.

When we let people show up in their full hue, their tone, their story, their rhythm, something remarkable happens. We stop trying to edit them into grayscale versions of what's familiar. And we start making room for a richer, more vivid picture of what's possible.

In coaching, I see this moment of recognition all the time:

“I didn’t know that was allowed.”

“I thought I had to be more like them.”

“I never considered that my difference might be my strength.”

You don’t have to match someone else’s color to matter. You don’t need to blend in to belong. You already have a place in the picture, as you are.

So wherever you are today, whether you're feeling out of place or perfectly aligned, remember this: We’re each a different color in the same masterpiece.

Keep coloring the world in your own way. It wouldn’t be complete without you.