I understand — because when I was promoted into my first manager role, I was super confident…

…until I stood in front of my team for the first time.

Cue the fight / flight / freeze response.

I had read all the books, taken all the leadership assessments, and had plenty of ideas about how I thought leadership should look. But when I was suddenly responsible for leading 12 young people, I realized something important: books, assessments, and ideas only help when you know how to put them into practice.

And I wasn’t sure I did.

The self-doubt set in fast.

Maybe you’ve been there too—hearing that judgy voice in your head:

“Why did you think you were ready for this?”

I made plenty of mistakes. I learned some lessons the hard way:
- I should have let one employee go sooner.
- I micromanaged instead of giving my team real ownership.
- I tried to do everything myself so I wouldn’t burden anyone…
until I burned out.

Despite having a strong mentor, I still struggled to find my footing. I felt like the Goldilocks of leadership styles — too tough, too soft, never quite right.

I got a lot of bad advice. I also saw a lot of bad leadership modeled. The kind that made me wonder:
Am I really cut out for leadership if THIS is what “successful” leadership looks like?

With all that noise, it’s hard to find your footing — let alone discover a leadership style that actually fits.

What finally changed everything was realizing I didn’t have to be “authoritative” or “laissez-faire.” I could just be me. When I started leveraging my innate strengths and values, everything clicked.

That shift helped me find my footing — and led to more than 20 years of leadership across nonprofits, education, startups, large corporations, and now my own business.

It took me three years to find my footing as a new leader.
I can help you get there faster.

Today, I work with new managers — and the growing organizations they’re part of — who want leadership development that’s practical, human, and grounded in real work. I help people build confidence, navigate complexity, and lead in ways that earn trust — without burning out or defaulting to outdated, hierarchical models.

(Not trying to be like the stuffy old guy who thought throwing chairs was “good leadership.”)