The Seat — Tena Voz

The Seat Wasn’t a Mistake

Last week, I learned I’d been selected to serve on the governing board for behavioral health across one of the largest hospital systems in the Tampa Bay area.

Only three members from our community mental health board were invited to continue. I was one of them. When they shared the news, I was honored. But if I’m honest…I was also surprised. Not because I didn’t care. I care deeply.

In fact, I cried when I first joined the community mental health board two years ago. Mental health has touched my family, my own life, and the lives of people I love. Serving has always felt like a way to give back. But when I looked around the room, I saw psychologists, psychiatrists, educators, nurses, social workers, and leaders who had spent their careers in behavioral health. I work in governance, risk, and change management. I remember thinking…“What am I doing here?”

Then they said why I had been selected. “You bring a different perspective that we need.” That sentence has stayed with me. Because just a few months earlier, I had been sitting in a conference room in New York having almost the opposite conversation with myself. For four hours, I became convinced someone in the room had already decided I wasn’t enough. Whether that was true or not almost doesn’t matter. It felt true.

During a short break, I found five quiet minutes. Five minutes to let the emotion hit. Five minutes to remind myself who I was. Then I walked back into the room. Not because all my doubts disappeared. Because sometimes courage isn’t the absence of self-doubt. Sometimes it’s choosing not to let that doubt make your decisions.

Looking back, I realize those two moments were connected. For too long, I measured myself against everyone else’s expertise. At the Board meetings, I wasn’t a psychologist. I wasn’t a clinician. I wasn’t a medical professional. I assumed that meant I had less to offer.

I was asking the wrong question. The better question was:

What perspective do I bring that no one else does?

Throughout my career, I’ve been invited into rooms because I see things differently. I ask different questions. I connect ideas across disciplines. I bring a governance and business perspective to conversations that need one. Not because it’s better. Because it’s different.

Organizations don’t become stronger by filling a room with people who think alike. They become stronger when people bring different experiences, ask different questions, and challenge each other with respect. Maybe that’s the lesson.

The next time you find yourself wondering if you belong. Don’t ask whether you look like everyone else at the table. Ask what perspective only you can bring.

Sometimes… that’s exactly why your seat is waiting.