Leadership can feel overwhelming, but what if the key to less stress and more impact isn’t about doing more—but leading with intention? The IOU Intentional Leader helps you align your leadership from the inside out—Know Your I, Own Your O, and Receive the U—so you can lead with clarity, confidence, and balance. Read more to discover how to shift from reacting to leading with purpose!
More than 30 years ago, before I became a superintendent, before I even thought about writing a book on leadership, I was—and still am—a musician. Music has always been part of who I am. I spent countless hours practicing, refining my craft, and immersing myself in the creative process. What I learned during that time shaped my understanding of leadership in ways I never expected.
Music is an inside-out process. You don’t just play notes on a page—you bring emotion, expression, and meaning from within yourself and translate that into sound. The best performances aren’t just technically correct; they are filled with purpose, intention, and authenticity. The feeling inside shapes the outward expression, and the result is something that moves people—something greater than just a series of notes.
Leadership works the same way.
Just like a musician who plays from the inside out, great leaders don’t just focus on outward actions—they start with their internal foundation. Leadership is not about managing tasks, reacting to challenges, or constantly pushing forward. It begins with who you are—your values, beliefs, and purpose. That’s your I.
Leadership today is more demanding than ever. The constant flow of decisions, the weight of expectations, and the ever-changing landscape of education, business, and public service create an unrelenting pressure. Many leaders wake up feeling behind before the day has even started. They react instead of lead. They push forward without pause, hoping that doing more will create clarity.
But here’s the truth: most leadership stress doesn’t come from the job itself—it comes from the way we approach it.
Too often, leadership feels like something happening to us rather than something we’re actively shaping. We focus on productivity, results, and external expectations without first grounding ourselves in who we are as leaders. The result?
But real leadership—the kind that’s sustainable, fulfilling, and impactful—starts from the inside out. It’s not about doing more; it’s about leading with intention.
That’s why I developed The IOU Intentional Leader—a simple but powerful framework designed to help leaders regain clarity, confidence, and control.
This isn’t just a framework—it’s a way to reduce stress, make better decisions, and lead with purpose.
Many leaders unknowingly operate with what I call a Counterfeit O—where they focus on action without first defining their identity.
The Counterfeit O is why so many high-achieving leaders feel exhausted. Their leadership is based on doing, rather than being. They chase success instead of building from a solid foundation.
But leadership isn’t about adding more to your plate—it’s about aligning your actions with your purpose.
One of the biggest challenges in leadership is stress—not just the workload, but the mental weight of decision-making and uncertainty.
When your I and O are aligned, leadership becomes energizing instead of exhausting. Instead of feeling pulled in a hundred directions, you:
The healthiest, most impactful leaders aren’t the ones who do the most. They’re the ones who lead with clarity, authenticity, and balance.
Leadership brings challenges, but it also brings an incredible opportunity. While the weight of responsibility can feel overwhelming, leadership is also a privilege—one that allows you to shape lives and make a lasting impact.
Every day, leaders have the opportunity to inspire, guide, and help others grow. The most effective leaders recognize that their influence extends far beyond policies, initiatives, or metrics.
Think about the leaders who made a difference in your life. Maybe it was a teacher who encouraged you to believe in yourself, a mentor who gave you an opportunity when no one else did, or a leader who stood by you in a difficult moment. Now, you are in that position for someone else.
When you step into leadership with intention:
But with that privilege comes responsibility.
The way you lead impacts your organization’s culture, the energy of your team, and the lives of the people you serve. Leadership isn’t neutral—it either builds up or tears down, inspires or discourages, fosters trust or creates doubt.
When leaders lose sight of this responsibility, stress takes over. Decision-making feels heavier. Every challenge feels personal. But when you shift your focus outward—toward the lives you are impacting—leadership regains its meaning.
If leadership is feeling overwhelming, ask yourself:
When you Know Your I—defining your values and purpose—and Own Your O—aligning your outward leadership to that purpose—you Receive the U. Leadership no longer feels exhausting. It feels meaningful.
Going back to my experience as a musician—when I first started playing music, I focused on the mechanics. The right notes. The right timing. The right technique. I believed that if I mastered the technical aspects, everything else would fall into place.
But something was missing.
My performances were precise, but they lacked depth. I was playing music, but I wasn’t making music. Then I made a shift—I stopped thinking about just hitting the right notes and started feeling the music. Instead of just following the sheet music, I connected with the emotion, the intention behind the notes. I played from the inside out. That’s when everything changed.
Leadership works the same way.
Just as music becomes powerful when it’s played with intention, leadership becomes impactful when it’s rooted in clarity and authenticity.
Right now, leaders everywhere are facing increased pressure, uncertainty, and stress. Many feel disconnected from their purpose—pulled in too many directions, trying to meet expectations that constantly shift.
The IOU Intentional Leader is about more than just leadership techniques. It’s about creating a healthier mindset, reducing stress, and making leadership sustainable and fulfilling.
If leadership feels overwhelming, it’s time to stop chasing more and start focusing on alignment.
If you’re tired of feeling pulled in a hundred directions, if you want to lead with confidence and balance, and if you’re ready to align your leadership with your core values—it’s time to answer the question:
Learn more and how to embed the Life Anchors into your life, and the lives of your family, your team, and/or your organization and receive Upward Living and more PH2E!
