There was something my choir director told me many years ago while I was growing up as a chorister.

“Nancy, there’s a place for skill, and there’s a place for anointing.”

At the time, I understood it only in the context of music and ministry.

You could be technically excellent. You could know how to modulate your voice, stay perfectly on pitch, understand harmony, and execute every note beautifully.

But then there were people who had spent time in prayer. People who had surrendered themselves fully to God. The moment they opened their mouths, something shifted in the atmosphere. It was no longer just performance. It became impact.

Years later, I now understand that lesson far beyond the choir stand.

I see it in careers. I see it in leadership. I see it in business. I see it in the lives of professionals trying to navigate purpose, ambition, visibility, and opportunity.

And lately, I have been thinking about it even more deeply after a recent conversation inspired by my dear friend and colleague, Stanley Ogbonna, who spoke so honestly about the role God has played throughout his professional journey.

His humility stayed with me.

Because if I am being truthful, I have seen the God factor play out repeatedly in my own life too.

We Live in a World That Worships Credentials

We are constantly told that the formula for success is simple:

Get the degree. Build competence. Gain certifications. Work hard. Network strategically. Keep improving yourself.

And please, do all of those things.

I believe strongly in excellence. I believe in preparation. I believe in competence.

But I have also lived long enough to realize something important:

Sometimes, qualifications are not what open doors.

Access does.

There are rooms your résumé cannot enter by itself.

There are opportunities that cannot be explained purely by strategy, networking, or intelligence.

Sometimes, despite doing everything right, the door still does not open.

And then somehow, one conversation changes everything. One recommendation changes everything. One unexpected opportunity appears. One person decides to believe in you.

That is the God factor.

The Quiet Reality Many Successful People Rarely Talk About

Over the years, I have had the privilege of speaking with senior professionals, mentors, executives, and leaders across healthcare, diagnostics, and business.

People with remarkable accomplishments.

And one thing quietly humbles me every single time.

When they speak honestly about their journey, many eventually acknowledge that beyond the strategy, beyond the hard work, beyond the impressive credentials, there were moments that only grace could explain.

The right person appearing at the right time. A protected mistake that should have destroyed a career. An unexpected opportunity during uncertainty. A door opening in a room they never imagined entering.

We do not talk about this enough in professional spaces because modern corporate culture often celebrates self-sufficiency.

But many successful people know the truth privately.

There is effort. And then there is favor.

To Professionals Looking to Pivot: Please Don’t Lose Yourself

I want to say something especially to professionals currently trying to pivot careers, reinvent themselves, build visibility, or transition into unfamiliar territory.

Do not allow ambition to disconnect you from God.

This season of becoming can be emotionally exhausting.

You may feel behind. You may feel overlooked. You may wonder why people less qualified seem to move faster. You may question whether your hard work is even being seen.

I understand that feeling deeply.

But please remember: Your journey is not only being built by skill.

There is also divine orchestration.

There are people you have not met yet. There are opportunities already moving in your direction. There are rooms your name is being mentioned in without your knowledge.

Sometimes the delay is not rejection. Sometimes God is still aligning the environment for where you are going.

The God Factor Is Not Laziness

Let me say this clearly because this part matters.

Believing in God does not remove the responsibility to work hard.

You must still study. You must still build competence. You must still improve your communication. You must still learn. You must still prepare.

Faith is not an excuse for mediocrity.

But excellence without God can still leave a person empty, exhausted, anxious, and deeply unfulfilled.

Some people have impressive salaries but no peace. Some people have visibility but no joy. Some people have status but live with constant internal chaos.

The God factor brings alignment.

It brings peace into ambition. It brings wisdom into decision-making. It protects people from opportunities that look attractive but quietly destroy purpose.

Even in personal relationships, I have seen this reality repeatedly.

You may be beautiful, intelligent, successful, and accomplished, yet still end up connected to the wrong people if wisdom and discernment are absent.

Life is too complex to navigate entirely on human strength alone.

Why I Will Always Acknowledge the God Factor

Some people tell me, “Nancy, you spiritualize everything.”

And honestly? That is perfectly okay.

Because I am not speaking from theory.

I am speaking from lived experience.

I have seen doors open that my qualifications alone could not explain. I have watched opportunities emerge that logic alone could not fully account for. I have experienced moments where grace carried me further than strategy ever could.

So today, this is my reminder to every ambitious professional reading this:

Work hard. Build competence. Pursue excellence. Show up consistently. Learn relentlessly.

But never become so accomplished that you forget God.

Never become so educated that you stop praying.

Never become so confident in your résumé that you stop depending on grace.

Because sometimes, the greatest advantage a person carries into a room is not what is written on paper.

Sometimes, it is simply the God factor.

And for that, I will always remain grateful.

See you in the next edition.