Your Team Takes Its Cue From You
Originally shared July 3, 2025 in the Naked Sunday Newsletter. Adapted for the journal.
I had one of those calls this week that made me stop and say,
“Wow… this is it. This is the work.”
She’s been a client and friend of mine for a while now. She works in the financial world, where most conversations revolve around numbers, deadlines, and performance metrics.
While she excelled, it was in spite of the fact that she was constantly running into chronic burnout cycles, and neglecting making any time for her own health and well-being.
But that’s not how she leads anymore.
A couple years ago, she made a quiet, internal promise to herself:
“I’m going to be more vulnerable.”
That felt risky at the time.
When you’re in a high-performance environment, there’s pressure to stay guarded. To keep it buttoned up.
But she did it anyway and made building real human connection the priority.
And now?
Her team is thriving.
They’re showing up consistently
They’re self-directed and proactive
Other managers are reaching out to her to say how impressed they are
One colleague literally said: “I want to be like you as a manager.”
And she’s getting promoted into an even bigger leadership role this fall
What changed?
She did.
Not by working harder or forcing her team to be better…
But by becoming the kind of leader she would want to follow.
What you can take from this:
The culture takes on the identity of its leader.
That’s it.
The people around you aren’t just following instructions.
They’re following your example.
They’re responding to your energy. Your tone. Your consistency.
Your ability to show up for yourself. Not just for the job, because whether you want to admit it or not, your personal life will impact your professional life.
So here’s what I’ll leave you with this week:
If your team is a mirror…
Do you like what you see?
What are they showing you about yourself?
Are you modeling the kind of trust, responsibility, and presence you want to receive?
That’s where the shift begins.
Not in more rules.
Not in tighter control.
But in leading by example.
Related reflections
Until next time…
Love. Every. Body.
