In my early 20s, I found myself naturally drawn to the concept of leadership. Right after college, I joined a small consulting firm where I joined in part because they had a leadership and team development practice. At the time, I had no idea that you could have a career learning about and helping teams with “leadership”. I also had no idea what executive coaching was. However, my interest wasn’t sparked by the typical leadership books that often seemed like self-help fluff, or the stories of leaders reveling in their accomplishments without revealing the path to greatness. I just had a good deal of intellectual curiosity around what leadership was, or could look like for me.
Later, after business school, I encountered other forms of explicit leadership education. I experienced MBA case studies, which were either overly academic or excessively heroic, academic papers, which were too theoretical, and even live simulation courses. None of these sparked a personal passion for becoming a student of leadership.
As I reflected on my work experiences coaching, and my more academic experiences, I realized a consistent thread in my life. Leadership always rose from a deep appreciation of people. Growing up in a small town in Alabama, I witnessed the small yet powerful examples of kindness, thoughtfulness, and respect for the community that emerge when you genuinely care for others. There, leadership wasn’t about cowboy CEOs barking orders in boardrooms; it was the preachers speaking from the pulpit and the kids taking on significant roles on the football field. To me, leadership looked like genuine thoughtfulness and a commitment to excellence.
As an adult, I’ve come to realize that not everyone had the same associations with leadership. My generation has all types of cynical associations with leadership and so-called “leaders”. We’ve lived through presidencies that betrayed the trust of the American people (regardless of party), experienced financial collapses, and witnessed many institutional meltdowns with devastating human consequences.
Amidst the blame and dysfunction, I strongly believe that the next generation, our generation, needs better leaders. But, perhaps even more importantly, we all need a clearer understanding of what leadership truly entails and what it can achieve.
Thus, this blog marks my attempt to explore my own understanding of leadership. I’ll share stories, anecdotes, and maybe even delve into some science and statistics. However, my primary goal is to shine a spotlight on techniques that can make us all better individuals and foster a deeper sense of care for one another. This quest for genuine human connection is timeless.
I also offer my own thoughts and perspectives on leadership. I consult leaders and continue to coach. I continue to believe that building great leaders and people who are in touch with their true emotional selves is some of the most important work that I can do.