Dear Leader, By now, you’ve probably seen the viral video clips surrounding Astronomer CEO Andy Byron getting caught in an affair with his CHRO Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert last week. Both the incident itself—and Byron’s lackluster apology—reflect one of the biggest challenges of being a leader today. You are always on. Even in what would seem to be a relatively private moment (albeit in a public space with thousands of other concert-goers), Byron and Cabot represent powerful authority...
5 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Leader, When you become a leader, a part of you is reborn. The question is, are we ready to answer the call to not only lead, but to become a stronger and more capable version of ourselves in the process? That’s what I’ll be reflecting on in today’s edition of The Leader Within. If you’d like to go deeper on this topic, I’ll share an opportunity to connect deeper with me and get support in how you can use rebirth in your leadership this week. Stay tuned at the end of this letter for more...
5 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Leader, Last week, I shared how the pillars of Responsible Leadership can benefit all types of leaders, from emerging leaders to executives. After writing that letter, I felt a deeper connection to my roots as an emerging leader and first-time manager. Which is why today I’ll share 5 important leadership lessons I learned throughout my early life as a leader. The initial call to leadership can be strong. Without the right tools and mindset, it’s quite easy to embrace a performative style...
5 months ago • 10 min read
Dear Leader, It’s hard being a leader. Whether you’re running your own business, are an executive at a Fortune 500, a middle manager, or an aspiring leader for a noble cause, you likely have a lot of challenges on your plate. While leading as your authentic self is a great way to maintain psychological well-being, authenticity alone won’t solve all your problems. We need to incorporate the other pillars of Responsible Leadership into our lives for us to bring our best leadership self to the...
5 months ago • 8 min read
Dear Leader, They say the third time’s the charm. I’m hoping this third edition of The Leader Within is the best yet! At the end of last week’s newsletter, I briefly touched on the four pillars of Responsible Leadership. I also shared how each plays a crucial role in shaping Responsible Leaders. These pillars are: Awareness Authenticity Boldness Trust With it still being Pride Month, I wanted to reflect on arguably the most important of these four pillars: Authenticity. As a gay man who...
6 months ago • 8 min read
Dear Leader, Last week, I shared with you the moral imperative behind a new way of leading. True leadership isn’t leading simply to benefit ourselves. Rather, we must lead responsibly, with the genuine well-being of our followers and those we lead at the forefront. Otherwise, what are we leading for? It’s this question that is at the heart of today’s newsletter. In this edition, I’ll outline why Responsible Leadership is needed now more than ever. As always, I’d love to know what you think of...
6 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Leader, Welcome to the very first edition of The Leader Within. It’s an honor for me, a 34-year-old gay white male Leadership Coach with a background in HR, UX, and action thriller novels, to write to you about my views on leadership. Beginning a few weeks ago, I shared several posts on LinkedIn that spell out my frustration with modern leadership. I also posited that a new model of leadership—what I’m deeming Responsible Leadership—is needed to help us break free from this crisis. After...
6 months ago • 8 min read