Be The Lighthouse

The ripple effect of leaders who choose growth over comfort

I've been thinking about something that's been gnawing at me for months.

Everywhere I look—LinkedIn feeds, industry articles, conference talks—there's this overwhelming narrative that "leadership is broken." That we're failing. That nothing we do matters.

It's exhausting. And honestly? It pisses me off.

Because here's what I see when I look at the people reading this newsletter: leaders who show up every day trying to get better. People investing their time, energy, and often their own money to learn how to lead more effectively. Managers who care enough about their teams to read about emotional intelligence at 6 AM before their kids wake up.

That's not broken leadership. That's leadership evolution in real time.

The Narrative Nobody's Talking About

While everyone's complaining about toxic workplaces and failed transformations, something remarkable has been happening quietly in organizations around the world.

You've been happening.

Think about it: thirty years ago, the idea that a manager should care about their team's psychological safety would have been laughable. The concept of servant leadership was radical. Emotional intelligence wasn't even a term most people knew.

Today? You're reading newsletters about how to create better one-on-ones. You're learning about giving effective feedback. You're studying how to build trust and navigate difficult conversations.

The fact that you're here, investing in becoming a better leader, represents a massive shift in what we expect from leadership. And you're not alone—millions of people are on this same journey.

The Trap We Fall Into

But here's the trap: it's easy to focus on everything that's still broken instead of celebrating how far we've come.

Yes, there are still terrible managers out there. Yes, some organizations resist change. Yes, leadership is hard and we all mess up sometimes.

But imagine where we'd be without your efforts. Without the countless leaders who've chosen growth over comfort, who've learned to listen instead of just talk, who've discovered that vulnerability is actually a strength.

The workplace you're creating today—where people feel heard, where psychological safety exists, where growth is encouraged—that didn't exist by accident. You built that.

Be the Lighthouse

In a storm, ships don't navigate by looking at other ships struggling in the waves. They look for the lighthouse.

You are that lighthouse for your organization.

Every time you have a courageous conversation instead of avoiding conflict, you're showing others what's possible. Every time you admit you don't know something and ask for help, you're modeling the humility that creates learning cultures. Every time you prioritize your team's development over short-term results, you're proving that sustainable success comes from growing people.

Your influence ripples far beyond what you can see. The person you mentor today becomes the leader who transforms their team tomorrow. The culture you create in your department becomes the standard others aspire to reach.

The World You're Creating

Here's what gets me excited: we're not just fixing broken leadership practices. We're inventing entirely new ways to lead.

We're creating workplaces where people can bring their whole selves to work. Where failure is seen as learning. Where the goal isn't just profit, but purpose. Where leadership isn't about having all the answers, but about asking better questions.

This isn't some distant utopian vision. This is happening right now, in real organizations, led by people just like you who decided that "good enough" wasn't actually good enough.

Your Daily Choice

Every day, you have a choice: you can focus on what's still broken, or you can be proud of the progress you're making while continuing to push forward.

Both can be true.

Leadership can still have massive room for improvement AND you can be proud of how far you've come.

The person you were as a leader five years ago would be amazed by the person you are today. The insights you have, the skills you've developed, the wisdom you've gained through experience—that's real progress.

And the leader you'll be five years from now? They're going to be even better because you're here, right now, doing the work.

Keep Shining

The world needs what you're building. Your team needs the safety you create. Your organization needs the standard you set. The next generation of leaders needs the example you're providing.

So while everyone else is complaining about how broken everything is, keep being the lighthouse. Keep showing up. Keep growing. Keep leading with intention and heart.

The future of work isn't something that's going to happen to us. It's something we're creating together, one better conversation, one improved process, one developed person at a time.

Be proud of that work. Be proud of how far you've come. And keep shining your light for others to follow.

The world is better because you chose to lead differently.

Josh Anderson
Editor-In-Chief
The Leadership Lighthouse