Corey Parchman: Leadership

Introduction: The Old Definition of Strength

For most of my life, I was taught that being a man meant being tough, silent, and unshakable. Growing up, I saw examples of men who kept everything bottled up, because showing emotion was viewed as weakness.

Then I stepped into football — a sport where toughness is practically a job description. On the field, you don’t let your opponent see pain. You don’t show fatigue. You push through. And while that mindset can help in sports, I realized later it can be dangerous in life.

True strength isn’t silence. True strength is presence, authenticity, and courage. It’s time we redefine masculinity for a new generation — one where men are allowed to be both strong and vulnerable.

1. The Problem With Silence

Silence is often disguised as strength, but in reality, silence builds walls. When we refuse to talk about what’s really going on — our fears, our stress, our failures — those emotions don’t disappear. They just come out in other ways: anger, detachment, or broken relationships.

I’ve met countless men who carry silent battles: struggling with infertility, dealing with financial pressure, or fighting private doubts about their purpose. They suffer quietly because they believe that’s what “being a man” requires.

But silence isolates. And isolation destroys.

2. What Strength Really Looks Like

Strength isn’t pretending you’re fine when you’re falling apart. Strength is calling a friend and saying, “I need help.” Strength is telling your child, “Daddy doesn’t know everything, but I’m learning with you.”

When I lost my dad at 10 years old, I didn’t have someone to model that kind of strength for me. So, I defaulted to silence. I put on the armor of toughness. Later, in football, that armor only got thicker.

But when I stepped into marriage, IVF, fatherhood, and entrepreneurship, I learned quickly: armor can’t raise a child. Armor can’t build trust in a relationship. Armor can’t lead a team.

Real masculinity isn’t about the armor. It’s about the willingness to take it off when it matters most.

3. Vulnerability Builds Connection

When I first shared my IVF journey publicly, I was nervous. Talking about infertility and fatherhood struggles didn’t exactly feel like “locker room conversation.” But the moment I opened up, I realized how many other men were quietly walking the same road.

Vulnerability does two powerful things:

• It breaks shame. Once you say it out loud, the thing you fear loses its power.

• It invites others in. Men need to hear, “Me too.” Vulnerability creates that bridge.

I can’t count the number of messages I’ve received from men saying, “Thank you for saying what I couldn’t.” That’s when I knew: sharing isn’t weakness. Sharing is leadership.

4. Redefining Masculinity in Business and Fatherhood

In real estate, I’ve led teams through high-stakes deals, construction projects, and tough negotiations. What I’ve learned is that people don’t follow titles — they follow character.

The leaders who inspire loyalty aren’t the ones who pretend to be bulletproof. They’re the ones who are honest, consistent, and willing to admit when they don’t have all the answers.

The same is true in fatherhood. My son doesn’t need me to be perfect — he needs me to be present. He doesn’t need me to hide my struggles — he needs me to model how to work through them.

When we redefine masculinity, we redefine leadership — in the home, in business, and in our communities.

5. Practical Ways Men Can Redefine Strength

If you’re a man reading this and wondering where to start, here are a few small shifts that create big change:

1. Talk About the Hard Stuff – Find one person you trust and share what’s really going on.

2. Show Emotion in Front of Your Kids – Let them see you cry, laugh, apologize. It teaches them it’s safe to feel.

3. Ask for Help Without Shame – Whether it’s mentorship in business or support in family, strong men build strong teams.

4. Lead With Presence, Not Perfection – People don’t remember flawless leaders. They remember consistent ones.

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Conclusion: Strength Without Silence

The world doesn’t need more men hiding behind silence. It needs more men who are willing to show up fully — with courage, honesty, and compassion.

Strength without silence changes marriages. It changes fatherhood. It changes boardrooms and locker rooms.

Redefining masculinity isn’t about rejecting toughness. It’s about expanding it. Because the strongest thing a man can do is live authentically, love openly, and lead boldly.

That’s the kind of man I’m striving to be. And that’s the kind of legacy I want to leave.