Leading with Heart, Humanity, and Hope

The Value of Leadership Theory

When I first discovered leadership theories, it was like discovering something I already knew.

I knew leadership.

I knew leaders.

I was one.

And yet, until I studied leadership theories, all I really  knew was that leaders were wildly different. Some inspired me. They made me feel seen and invited me to grow.  Others left me puzzled, their decisions feeling oddly disconnected form the people they affected. A few left me quietly angry, wondering how anyone could use their power in ways that felt so careless or did so much damage.

Why Some Leaders Lift Us aND Others Leave Us Cold

Learning leadership theories gave me language for those experiences. I understood why I resonated with transformational leaders (they were both inspirational and intellectually challenging). They cared about people as much as they cared about outcomes. And I understood why I never felt connected with transactional leaders (who shared my passion for our work but didn’t really care about getting to know me).

What We LEave Out When We Only Teach One Story

As I’ve continued to study leadership theories, I’ve realized how important it is for leadership education to expand our thinking beyond traditional Western leadership theories. When we study Western leadership to the exclusion of everything else, we miss the communal approach of Indigenous leadership, the compassion of social justice centered approaches, and the collaboration of inclusive leadership theories.

In that gap, something essential gets lots.

What We Need Instead

As I keep learning about leadership, what I want becomes clear.

More heart.

More humanity.

More hope.

More wholeness.

Those qualities live vividly in Indigenous leadership theories, in social justice centered leadership, and in inclusive leadership traditions. They remind us that leadership is not just about results or roles. It is about relationship, responsibility, and the courage to lead as a whole human being.