Imperfection

I love studying leadership. Always have. Always will.

Sometimes, reading about leadership feels like a high-five to the past: “Yes! I’ve done that well.”

Other times, it stings—a mirror showing where I fell short, where I could have led better, listened more, or shown more courage. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

And here’s the truth: there’s no going back. No mulligans.

What we can do is reflect, learn, and carry those lessons forward. That’s where insight becomes foresight. And if we’re willing, there’s grace. As Judy Belmont reminds us:

“Forgive yourself for not having the foresight to know what now seems so obvious in hindsight.”

Grace bridges the gap between recognizing our past mistakes and moving forward without being chained by them - or armoring up.

Much of my leadership journey has been shaped by Brené Brown, especially her work on wholehearted living. She writes:

“How much we know and understand ourselves is critically important, but there is something even more essential to living a Wholehearted life: loving ourselves.”

Wholehearted leadership isn’t a destination—it’s a journey. Brown likens it to walking toward a star in the sky: we never fully arrive. To lead with courage, compassion, and connection, we must embrace our imperfections.

Here’s the balance: we acknowledge the times we fell short—times we really messed up—but we don’t let shame be an anchor. Brown reminds us:

“Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”

Leadership is about standing up to that inner critic that is whispering, “You’re not good enough,” and choosing to recognize our humanity.

No matter your experience, achievements, or leadership track record—you will face moments of imperfection. Wholeheartedness requires ordinary courage.

When we summon that courage to:

• see our flaws

• confront shame or guilt

• show up authentically and vulnerably

…something remarkable happens:

“We make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver.”

Leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, learning, reflecting, and extending grace—to ourselves and to those we lead. That, ultimately, is what makes leadership—and life—rich, meaningful, and transformative.