As someone who leads a team, today’s huddle reminded me of the principles I try to live by as a leader.
My approach to leadership is built on three things:
Self-preservation
Clear and purposeful direction
A balance of care and challenge
These principles are simple, but they are not always easy to apply.
I’ve experienced teams falling apart during the seasons when I neglected these fundamentals.
Self-Preservation
No matter how skilled I am at leading, communicating, or making decisions, none of it translates into meaningful outcomes if I am not personally okay.
When my relationships are strained, when I don’t feel grounded, or when something feels off internally, it affects everything.
Leadership begins with inner stability.
Taking care of my mental, emotional, and spiritual health is part of my responsibility to the team.
My team needs a leader they can trust—someone they can lean on during difficult times.
That means making sure I am okay is non-negotiable.
Clear and Purposeful Direction
Direction is more than metrics, KPIs, and numbers.
Those are important because they help measure progress.
But what matters most is whether our actions align with the reason our team exists in the first place.
In our physical therapy team, our purpose is to promote longevity and help people build bodies that last.
So even if the numbers are not where we want them to be, if our patients are beginning to understand and embrace the value of longevity, that is already a meaningful win.
Purpose gives numbers their meaning.
A Balance of Care and Challenge
Every person wants two things: to be cared for and to grow.
No one thrives in an environment where they are treated like machines.
Leaders sometimes become so focused on targets that they forget they are working with human beings—people created with dignity, emotion, and purpose.
At the same time, care does not mean lowering standards.
We have a mission to accomplish, and fulfilling that mission requires each of us to grow.
That means setting challenges that stretch us both individually and collectively.
As we grow as people, we become more capable of achieving our shared purpose.
These are the principles I believe in and strive to follow as a leader.
There are days when I forget them.
But I am doing my best to serve my team and the people we are called to help.
My one-on-one conversations today reminded me of something important:
The most valuable asset in any organization is not the leader.
It is not the customer.
It is not the numbers.
It is the team.
They are the most valuable players if we want to win.