I was driving recently, the kind of drive where the sun is hitting the dashboard just right and you’ve got a window cracked, when Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill” came on.
You know the feeling. It’s that driving-fast-with-the-music-up kind of anthem. But as I listened to him belt out lyrics about breaking his leg at six years old, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, and watching his friends go through divorces and dead-end jobs, something resonated with me.
We spend so much of our professional lives trying to outrun our “hometown” versions of ourselves.
We want to be the polished executive, the flawless leader, the person who has always had it all figured out. We treat our past mistakes, our awkward phases, and our early failures like a shadow we’re trying to lose by running faster into the light.
But here’s the thing: Your past isn’t a shadow. It’s your scaffolding.
A shadow just follows you around, reminding you of where you’ve been. But scaffolding? Scaffolding is the structure that allows you to build something higher than you could ever reach on your own.
The “Hometown” of the Mind
When Ed Sheeran sings about the “Castle on the Hill,” he isn’t just talking about a literal landmark in Suffolk. He’s talking about a version of himself.
We all have a “hometown” in our minds. It’s not just a place on a map; it’s a collection of versions of ourselves we’ve left behind.
- The version of you that failed that first big presentation.
- The version of you that got passed over for a promotion you thought was yours.
- The version of you that struggled with confidence or let a friendship fall apart.
For years, I thought growth meant erasing those versions. I thought that to be a “next level” leader, I had to distance myself from the “old” me. I wanted a clean slate.
But I’ve realized that’s not how it works. You don’t need to erase where you came from to be proud of where you’re going. In fact, if you try to tear down the scaffolding before the building is finished, the whole thing becomes unstable.
Not a Burden, But a Blueprint
There’s a specific line in the song where he talks about “tasting the sweet perfume of the mountain grass” right after he broke his leg.
It’s such a gritty, honest way to look at a memory. It wasn’t all good, and it wasn’t all bad. It was just real.
Resilience is built in the moments where you “broke your leg”, the moments where things went wrong and you had to find a way to keep moving.
Your past isn’t a weight you carry; it’s the blueprint you use to understand the world.
Think about the toughest season of your career. Maybe it was a toxic boss, a failed startup, or a period of deep uncertainty. At the time, it felt like a detour. It felt like you were losing ground.
But look at yourself now.
That toxic boss taught you exactly how not to treat people.
That failed startup gave you a masterclass in risk management.
That uncertainty gave you the empathy you now use to lead your team through change.
You didn’t survive those things despite your past. You are a leader today because of it.
The Grit of the Mountain Grass
One of the most powerful things about “Castle on the Hill” is how Sheeran lists the different paths his friends took. One is on his second wife, one is barely getting by, one is working at a local bar.
He’s showing us that the same foundation, the same “castle”, can lead to a thousand different destinations.
In leadership, we often compare our “current state” to someone else’s “highlight reel.” We see the CEO who seems to have it all and we think, “I wish my road had been as straight as hers.”
But there are no straight roads.
Every leader I’ve ever coached who truly has a “next level” impact has a history filled with “mountain grass” moments. They have grit because they’ve been tested. They have empathy because they’ve been hurt. They have perspective because they’ve seen the view from the bottom of the hill as well as the top.
Grit isn’t the absence of struggle… it’s the result of it.
Leading From Your History (Not Your Title)
When we walk into a room to participate in a meeting, we usually lead with our titles. We lead with our expertise.
But the most influential leaders lead with their history.
When you’re willing to acknowledge the “winding road” that brought you here, you give your team permission to be human, too. You show them that perfection isn’t the requirement, progress is.
At Next Level Us, we focus heavily on mindset and culture. Why? Because you can have all the strategy in the world, but if you don’t have the internal structure to support it, it won’t last.
That internal structure is built out of your experiences.
- The empathy you gained from being the “new kid” or the “underdog.”
- The focus you gained from a time when you lost your way.
- The passion you gained from finally finding what makes you come alive.
These aren’t just personal anecdotes. They are professional assets. They are the scaffolding that holds up your leadership style.
Respecting the Path Without Romanticizing It
Let’s be honest: some parts of the past suck.
I’m not suggesting you have to look back at every mistake and smile. You don’t have to romanticize the “broken leg” moments. But you do have to respect them.
Respecting your path means acknowledging that every chapter, even the messy, confusing, and embarrassing ones, carried you forward. It means understanding that you couldn’t be the person you are today without the person you were yesterday.
Something incredible happens when you stop trying to outrun your history. You start to find a sense of peace that allows you to be more present for your team, your family, and yourself.
You realize that you aren’t a finished product. You are a work in progress, and the scaffolding is still there, helping you reach the next level.
The Everyday Life Lesson
It’s easy to feel like you’re “behind” or like your past is holding you back. But I want to challenge that today.
Take a moment to look back at the “Castle on the Hill” in your own life. What were the moments that shaped you? What were the mistakes that gave you wisdom?
Just because the journey wasn’t linear doesn’t mean it wasn’t working.
Every setback was a setup. Every delay was a development. Every “no” was a redirection toward a better “yes.”
Here is how you can start using your past as scaffolding instead of a shadow:
- Acknowledge the “Hometown” Self: Identify a version of yourself you’ve been trying to hide. Write down one thing that version of you learned that you still use today.
- Audit Your Hardships: Look at your three biggest career “failures.” For each one, identify a specific skill or perspective it gave you.
- Lead with Vulnerability: The next time a team member struggles, share a story of when you were in their shoes. Not to make it about you, but to show them the scaffolding is real.
- Stop Erasing, Start Integrating: Accept that your history is part of your brand. It’s what makes you unique and relatable.
Closing Punch
Your past isn’t a weight to drag: it’s the structure you stand on to reach higher.
Your past isn’t your shadow : it’s your scaffolding.
At Next Level Us, we believe that real leadership development starts from the inside out. We help teams and individuals take their history, their mindset, and their current challenges and turn them into a framework for high performance.
If you’re ready to stop running from your past and start using it to build a better future for your team, reach out to us. We’d love to help you find your “Next Level.”
Whether it’s through executive coaching or a leadership development workshop, we are here to help you build something that lasts.
The road might be winding, but it’s taking you exactly where you need to go. Trust the scaffold. Keep building.
