In a culture that often equates leadership with position and recognition, a new book offers a counterintuitive message: the season of waiting is not a season of inactivity. What Is Your Folding Chair? by Tosin Ogunsanwo, a pastor, cybersecurity executive, board director, and speaker, explores the hidden preparation that precedes meaningful influence. The book argues that obscurity, adversity, and closed doors can be the very spaces where character, capability, and conviction are forged.
At the heart of the book is the metaphor of the folding chair, inspired by Shirley Chisholm's famous statement about bringing your own seat to the table when one is not offered. Ogunsanwo first encountered that idea in 2022, and it resonated so deeply that he preached a sermon titled "What Is Your Folding Chair?" at his church. The message lingered, and in 2025 he felt a renewed conviction to expand it into a book. For Ogunsanwo, the folding chair represents the gifts a person develops, the values they refuse to compromise, the relationships they cultivate, the resilience they acquire, and the expertise they build while waiting for a larger sphere of influence.
The book's significance lies in its challenge to traditional notions of leadership and success. Rather than focusing solely on external strategies or spiritual encouragement, Ogunsanwo bridges the two worlds. He draws on personal stories, biblical narratives, interviews, and practical principles to show that preparation does not begin when opportunity arrives; it begins long before anyone is watching. This message is particularly relevant to those who have felt overlooked, underestimated, rejected, or excluded by traditional systems. It asserts that the absence of recognition does not mean the absence of purpose.
Ogunsanwo brings a distinctive professional perspective to this intersection. For more than 15 years, he has led cybersecurity initiatives protecting critical infrastructure while simultaneously mentoring emerging leaders through ministry, education, and community engagement. He holds a master's degree in Engineering Management and the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) credential. His experience in high-stakes technical environments complements his work as a pastor, allowing him to approach leadership as both a practical discipline and a spiritual responsibility.
The implications of this book extend beyond individual readers. In a time when many are questioning the fairness of traditional pathways to influence, What Is Your Folding Chair? offers a framework for agency and hope. It suggests that the rooms God is calling people to enter may not yet be accessible, but the preparation for those rooms is already underway. The question is not merely whether a seat will eventually become available, but what one is building, developing, and carrying when it does. Ogunsanwo describes his writing journey as "Divine, Timely and Transformative," and the book aims to be just that for readers still waiting for their opportunity.
Published by Lucid Books, an independent hybrid publisher in the Houston area, What Is Your Folding Chair? occupies an intentional space between leadership literature and Christian personal growth. By focusing on the formative power of unseen seasons, it redefines what it means to be ready for influence. For anyone who has ever felt sidelined or overlooked, the book delivers a clear and compelling message: your folding chair is not a sign of exclusion, but a symbol of preparation for the doors that will open.
