The Type Of Leadership We Need For This Moment

You are a person who follows through, who doesn't give up, who rises to the challenge. You think of yourself this way and you have the track record to prove it.

And the approach that got you to this point has served you well, especially when you were earlier in your career, the stakes were a little lower, and you had the wind of a movement at your back.

But you are older now and the world and your personal reality are more complicated. You are in a position of more power and authority, with more eyes on you and more responsibility both at work and at home. And when things feel tough you reach for the same tool that has always worked in the past. You try harder, you dig deep, and buckle down.

The problem is that even though trying harder comes from a place of deep care and commitment, it may actually be working against you.

Leadership is about setting the vision and tying your strategies, priorities, and culture to that. When you are clear, grounded, and intentional, that clarity is felt by everyone around you. The way you show up sets the tone for your whole organization. Your team can tell when you are running on fumes. They feel the anxiety radiating off you in meetings even when you are doing your best to hold it together. You are not as good an actor as you think you are.

And this moment in history is specific. We are living through a polycrisis and uncertainty is coming from multiple places all at once. Action is needed on multiple fronts, the stakes are very high, and everyone’s nervous system is activated.

The leadership that got many of us here was built for a different kind of challenge. We aren’t going to “power through” this moment. Its collaboration, kindness, bravery, and interconnection that will help us win. Those are things that need to be nurtured, and you may have forgotten how to do that. Building sustainability into your leadership isn’t self indulgent; it's key to reaching your goals. It's also how you live your vision of a just future in the present.

You get to evolve and that evolution has to start from the inside. Different outward strategies without the deeper work will read as performative and inauthentic. A strong internal foundation is what makes a different daily reality possible.

Where are you powering through right now?

Do Your Part publishes June 15th. More soon.