The Inner Work of Leadership

Leadership can sometimes feel like you are expected to be less human. But the best leaders know it is about being more of one — more grounded, more self-aware, more open.

The leaders we have worked with who lead with integrity are not just focused on results. They stay connected to who they are while getting there. They are clear about the contribution they make and the space they create for others to do the same. That clarity keeps them steady and authentic, even when the pressure or pace around them changes.

That kind of leadership does not happen by accident. It grows from awareness of self, of others, and of the impact your leadership has. We have seen that awareness come to life in how leaders think, respond, and relate to those around them. Whether built through intention or experience, it is what holds steady when everything else begins to move.

Here are the ways we have seen awareness expressed in leaders who stay grounded and human in their work.

Core Values

Values serve as both a compass and an anchor. When leaders take the time to define them, values help guide decisions and bring clarity during uncertainty. Leaders know what to say yes to, what to walk away from, and what is worth standing their ground for.

Values keep you steady during hard seasons, when ego, pressure, or fear try to pull you off course.

But your values do not just guide you. They show others what they can expect from you, how you make decisions, how you handle conflict, and what kind of culture you are building around you.

Even if you have never said them out loud, your values are forming a kind of social contract. It is an unspoken agreement about what matters, what is tolerated, and what is off-limits. Your team is paying attention. They are watching for consistency. And over time, they start to organize around what you demonstrate, not just what you say.

Motivation

Motivation shapes more than your to-do list. It influences your tone, your priorities, and your team’s emotional climate, even if you never say it out loud.

Are you motivated by being the best? That will affect how you define success and how you respond to failure. Do you want to be seen as inspirational or valuable? That can create real drive, but it may also lead to overperforming, people-pleasing, or chasing recognition instead of results. Are you here to contribute, to guide others, or to build something meaningful? That kind of motivation shapes how you show up when no one is watching.

I once worked under a CHRO whose primary motivation was to impress the CEO. That single driver shaped everything about our team. The goal was not meaningful work. It was work that looked good from above. That focus on perception over purpose showed up in how we made decisions, collaborated, and communicated.

There is no shame in having layered or complex motivations. Most people do. But when you take the time to name yours and understand why you are here, you create more space to lead with intention.

Vulnerability

Vulnerability shapes more than how you handle uncertainty. It influences how much trust, honesty, and courage exist around you.

It is often where leadership is tested the most. It reveals the kind of awareness you lead from when the outcome is unclear or the risk feels personal.

Who are you in those moments? When something feels uncertain, risky, or beyond your control? How do you navigate the discomfort that follows? Do you avoid it? Shift into performance mode? Try to take control? Or maybe you go quiet or double down to avoid feeling exposed.

When you are not aware of how you respond to vulnerability, it does not stay contained within you. It shapes how you lead. It shows up in how you handle feedback, conflict, and uncertainty with your team.

So much of the way we do not want to show up as leaders happens in those vulnerable spaces when we are unsure, uncomfortable, or afraid to get it wrong. If you are not aware of how you respond in those moments, you are likely being led by them.

Resilience

Resilience is not about bouncing back. It is about how you move through hard things without abandoning yourself or the people around you.

It shows up in your response to criticism, failure, uncertainty, and change. It begins with the story you tell yourself about the struggle you are in and the meaning you assign to it. If unchecked, that story drives what you do next.

Do you shut down? Power through without looking back? Blame others? Or do you pause, reflect, and recalibrate?

Real resilience means understanding how certain emotions impact you and challenging the stories you might be telling yourself in those moments. It is not about being unaffected. It is about staying present through discomfort and choosing to grow because of it.

Leadership will test you, and most of us learn through trial by fire. What makes you a good leader is not how well you perform when things are smooth; it is how you navigate the messier parts with clarity, consistency, and care.

Presence

We are not talking about the kind of presence that gets tossed around in corporate coaching or feedback conversations. We are talking about the type that cannot be faked, forced, or fast-tracked.

Presence is one of the most talked-about leadership skills and also one of the most misunderstood. It is more than just showing up physically. It is about actually being there, undistracted, emotionally available, and grounded enough to handle what is in front of you.

You can feel the difference in a leader who is present. They listen differently. They notice more. They make people feel seen.

The kind of presence that resonates is not about charisma. It is about consistency. It is not performative. It is built from within, shaped by your values, and practiced in quiet moments long before the pressure hits.

And when conflict, ambiguity, or pressure arise, it is not your strategy deck or polished communication plan that will keep your team steady. It is your presence.

Blind Spots

You have them. I have them. Everyone does. They come with being human.

The question is not whether they exist, but whether you are willing to see them.

Blind spots are shaped by your identity, your lived experience, your culture, and the way the world has responded to you. And if you are not actively examining them, they will shape how you lead, how you hire, who you trust, what you reward, and who gets overlooked.

The best leaders invite feedback, examine their biases, and surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth. Not to be perfect, but to stay in integrity.

Being aware of your blind spots does not mean you will never get it wrong. It means you take responsibility when you do. It means you stay curious. And it means you let other people’s lived experiences expand your own, not threaten it.

The most trustworthy leaders are not the ones who say, “I see everything.” They are the ones who say, “I did not know, but now I do. And I will work on it.”

Power

Power is not just about the ability to make decisions or give direction. It also shapes how people feel around you, whether they feel safe, valued, or heard.

It can be uncomfortable to talk about, especially if you do not see yourself as someone who possesses it. But if you lead people, influence decisions, or shape culture, you do.

Most of us were never taught how to recognize power, let alone use it well. Yet it is always present in every conversation, decision, and interaction.

Power shows up in who you listen to, whose input you seek, and who feels safe to speak. It is not just positional. It is relational. It lives in the space between you and the people you lead, in your tone, your attention, and your choices.

You do not have to be at the top of the org chart to hold power. What matters is how consciously you use the influence you have.

Every part of this work points back to the same truth: awareness is the foundation of leadership.

The inner work of leadership is not a checklist to complete. It is an ongoing practice of awareness of who you are, how you show up, and the effect you have on others. The more awareness you bring to your values, motivation, vulnerability, resilience, presence, blind spots, and power, the more grounded your leadership becomes.

Because real leadership is not about control or performance, it is about awareness, integrity, and the courage to stay human while leading others.