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The best leaders aren’t just running companies—they’re shaping meaning. Think about brands like Patagonia, Nike, or Apple. Yes, they sell products. But their true power comes from something larger: a deeper purpose that resonates with people and inspires loyalty. Modern leaders do the same. They go beyond quarterly goals and KPIs to connect their work to a mission that matters. Purpose is the glue that holds teams together through uncertainty, and it’s the spark that motivate

Innovation doesn’t happen in echo chambers. Yet too many organizations still fall into the trap of groupthink—where the same voices dominate and new ideas get stifled. The modern leader knows that the opposite of inclusion is stagnation. When we surround ourselves only with people who think like us, we miss out on the breakthroughs that come from diverse perspectives. I saw this firsthand when I worked as an expert witness defending California’s board diversity laws. At the t

Modern leadership isn’t just about what you achieve. It’s about who you bring along with you. I learned this lesson firsthand in my twenties, when I co-founded Running Start, an organization to inspire young women to run for elected office. We knew mentorship was key—because leadership is not something you do in isolation. It’s something you pass forward. Mentorship is powerful not only because it helps the next generation grow, but because it helps us grow too. Every mentor

Humility might not sound glamorous. But I’ve seen over and over again that it’s the quiet superpower of modern leaders. Early in my...

When I think about modern leadership, the first trait that comes to mind is a growth mindset. I’ve spent my career advising leaders, teaching, and working across the globe—and the very best leaders I’ve observed all share this quality: they never stop learning. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illustrates this so well in Leadership in Turbulent Times, particularly in her portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Despite repeated failures—including losing his run for Congress—Lincoln committ