🌍 The Kind of Leadership the World Needs Right Now
- Emma Schofield
- May 7, 2025
- 3 min read
You can be a high-performing, people-first leader, and still wonder if you’re doing it all wrong.
That’s how one senior leader (in a very well-known and credible business) began a coaching session with me not long ago. What followed was a conversation I’ve since had in many different forms, with many different leaders.
“Being a people-focused leader feels right to me. It’s how I’ve always led, and it’s part of who I am. But if I’m honest, I sometimes feel like I’m leading differently to others around me. And that can make me question myself, even when my team is engaged and we’re delivering results.”
He wasn’t doubting his capability. He was questioning whether his style of leadership was valid, because it didn’t always match the more dominant, top-down approaches around him.
And he’s not alone.
The quiet questions many leaders are holding:
Can I lead with empathy and still be respected?
Can I put people first and still hold people accountable to deliver results?
Can I stay true to who I am and still be seen as credible and resilient?
They instinctively know what good leadership feels like. They just don’t always see it role-modelled in a way that rings true for them.
We're not short on Leadership
We’re short on better leadership.
I believe leadership is the most powerful lever for change, not just inside organisations but across society.
The way leaders show up influences how people feel, how they work, how they grow, and how safe they feel bringing their whole selves to work.
The best leadership doesn’t start with a strategy or a playbook. It starts from within.
And as two of my favourite voices in this space share:
📘 John Amaechi says in The Promises of Giants,
“Leaders are always making promises – whether they mean to or not.” That means leadership isn’t just about what you say or do. It’s about the tone you set, the choices you make, and the space you hold.
📙 Brené Brown puts it just as clearly in Dare to Lead:
“Courage and vulnerability are not opposites; they go hand in hand.”
And that’s what I see time and time again.
The real work of leadership is internal before it's external
What does that look like in practice?
Pausing before we react, even when we’re under pressure
Giving people clarity instead of comfort when things get hard
Leading with empathy and holding high standards
Knowing your triggers, owning your impact, and being willing to say, “I don’t know, but I’m here alongside you”
This kind of leadership isn’t loud or performative. It’s grounded, reflective and intentional.
And when we lead from this place, something shifts. It shows up in our presence, our relationships, and the cultures we create.
The paradox many leaders are facing
The leaders I work with aren’t lacking skills. They’re navigating a different challenge: trying to lead in a way that feels right, in environments where that style isn’t always the norm.
They feel the weight of responsibility, but also the tension of not wanting to lead like everyone else. And that tension can make them second-guess themselves.
They don’t need fixing. They need space. They need permission to lead in a way that’s clear, human and values-led, even when it doesn’t fit the traditional mould.
This is the work I believe in
I help leaders reconnect with who they are, what they stand for, and how they want to lead. That way, they can show up with more clarity, confidence and intention, and create the kind of culture people want to be part of.
It’s not easy work. It requires courage, self-awareness and commitment.
But I know, wholeheartedly, that it’s the kind of leadership the world needs more of.
In a world full of noise, we need leaders who are awake. To themselves, to others, and to the systems they shape.
💬 What would shift if more leaders led from the inside out?
I’d love to hear your perspective. Drop a comment below and let's start a conversation.
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