The Radical Audacity of Leadership Development

I risk spectacular failure every time I grab the microphone and start a leadership conversation. Because I’m doing much more than teaching people to give feedback, manage teams, or navigate change — I’m challenging how they see themselves, especially in relation to others.

I believe everyone is born a leader, capable of creating results. That’s who I’m speaking to when I step onto a fragile limb and engage someone brave enough to raise their hand — even when it means challenging me in front of everyone. These moments are called coaching from the front of the room.

Invariably, they share how they feel stuck. They might have a “toxic” boss or a “paternalistic” culture — and maybe that’s true. But the only person courageous enough to change it is the one who raised their hand. If I don’t treat them like the leader they are — someone always contributing to what works or doesn’t — I’m the one being disrespectful.

My job is to help them shift from powerless to powerful. In doing so, I run straight into cultural norms and organizational habits that teach people to see themselves as less than leaders. I risk losing them. I risk being misunderstood. I risk failure.

At the same time, I’m confronting my own frames — the frustration or defensiveness I carry into the room when I encounter disempowered cultures. If I don’t examine those reactions, I bring them into the conversation, and I fail. Because everyone in that room — especially me — is wrestling with the way they see the world and the leader within themselves.

That’s the real work of leadership development: to fail publicly, again and again, until the conversation shifts toward power. Leaders fail all the time. Not because they’re careless, but because they’re willing to test their impact. Leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about effectiveness. Failure is simply part of the deal, especially when you challenge how people see themselves and their world.

Why does it matter? Because real leaders create other leaders. They treat people as capable and powerful, continually generating results. They challenge others to see themselves differently — and yes, they fail often in the process. How, then, could I do otherwise?

Of course, I could choose a different path.
I remind myself of that.
I always wanted to raise goats.