Once I was an emerging leader, I think. I was young, and I was in on the beginning of a satirical, cutting-edge magazine that got a lot of national attention. We were fresh, creative, and bold, my friends and I.

Before that, within the circles I had grown up in, people often commented on the great things they believed God would do through me one day.

The saying "There is no burden like a great potential" was not my experience of emerging. I liked the attention and thrived on the optimism and expectation.

Though they were legion, my many faults were excused because my trajectory looked good. What could be better than to be more highly regarded for what I might be than for what I actually was?

My potential trumped my actual over and over again. Emerging was a good deal.

I have emerged, I think. I don't know what the cut-off age is, but it's been a while since I could meaningfully be called an emerging leader. What you see is probably all you're going to get. Unless there are some big surprises ...