Leadership is Human Work

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately. Not the title, the hierarchy, or the corner office, but the actual practice of leadership. Why do I enjoy leading so much? What’s really behind it? Why do I have such high expectations for myself as a leader? 

I recently had an epiphany. What’s behind my love of leadership isn’t complex. The answer has been staring back at me the entire time I’ve been building my passion project, Ample Beauty. At the core is a set of deeply personal values that guide who I am and what I choose to align with every single day: Justice, Compassion, Integrity, and Authenticity. Each of these is more than just a word. Each one is a window into how I show up as a leader and why I choose to be in service of others.

After years of leading teams, building strategy, navigating growth, and working alongside incredibly talented humans, I’ve realized something simple. Leadership is deeply human work. When we forget that, we miss the entire point. Behind the KPIs, quarterly goals, and strategy decks, there is always a person. A human being with ambition, insecurities, strengths, dreams, personal struggles, and untapped potential. For me, leadership begins there.

When you genuinely care about the human in front of you, not just their output, something shifts. People feel seen and valued, and when that happens, they show up differently. You don’t get discretionary effort from pressure. You get it from connection.

Some organizations treat people development like a “nice to have,” but it’s not. It is the strategy. If you want innovation, resilience, accountability, and long-term performance, you invest in people. You mentor them, create stretch opportunities, and trust them before they fully trust themselves. That is not soft leadership. It is smart leadership.

The best teams I’ve experienced were not built on rigid control. They were built by leaders who intentionally developed capability and confidence. People are not a line item. They are the advantage. And kindness is not weakness. Kindness does not mean avoiding hard conversations or lowering standards. It means being clear and direct without diminishing someone. It means choosing respect when it would be easier to choose ego. Kindness builds trust, trust builds speed, and speed builds performance. If you want a high-performing culture, start with how people treat one another when things get hard.

I’ve had leaders teach me hard lessons about the type of leader I never want to embody, and have been fortunate to have some incredible leaders who have shaped who I am today. I have a mentor who has been one of the most impactful leaders in my life. He pushed my boundaries and challenged me to expect more from myself. He encouraged me to reach for goals I wasn’t sure I was ready for and set me on a path to better understand myself so I could better understand others. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. That is leadership. One of the greatest gifts he gave me was knowledge. He shared insights, wisdom, and unforgettable book recommendations, including Good to Great. When it was time for me to move on to my next chapter, he told me I embodied Level 5 leadership. That moment changed the trajectory of my career and reshaped what I thought of myself professionally.

The more experience I gain, the more convinced I am that authenticity is everything. You do not need to be the smartest person in the room or have all the answers. You do not need to perform leadership. You need to be real. When leaders show up honestly, admit uncertainty, and share what they are learning, it gives others permission to do the same. That is when creativity, ownership, and courage begin to show up in meaningful ways.

The idea that “clear is kind” lives deeply in how I lead. Authenticity is not soft. It is magnetic. If you want the best version of people, create an environment where they feel safe enough to bring it. Safe to challenge ideas, admit mistakes, ask questions, and disagree respectfully. Psychological safety is the unlock. When people feel safe, they contribute. I have seen quiet team members become powerful voices and watched innovation flourish in environments where leaders listen more than they speak. Safety fuels performance every time.

Ego, on the other hand, is the fastest way to lose a room. Leadership is not about being right. It is about seeking to understand. Letting go of ego means listening first, inviting better ideas, and not needing credit to feel secure. When leaders make space for others to rise, they elevate the entire team. That is the real work of leadership.

So what does leadership really mean to me? It means caring deeply about people and investing in their growth with intention. It means choosing kindness even when it is difficult. It means leading with authenticity, creating psychological safety, and leaving ego at the door.

In the words of Simon Sinek, “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in our charge.”

So the question is simple. What kind of leader are you choosing to be today?

Start with one action. Choose connection over control. Choose clarity over comfort. Choose people over process.

Because leadership is not a title you hold. It is a responsibility you live, every single day. And when we get that right, Level 5 leadership follows.