Recently a former boss of mine, Lora Stenard – amazing coach, by the way, shared an article on how Tim Ryan, is asking the PWC community to go forward  after the tragic death of one of their young  colleagues.

Because this is what leaders do – it’s one of the most important things that leaders do.

Face a horrid situation. Give the people around them specific steps to take on the way to recovering a higher level of themselves. Give that community of individuals the opportunity and direction to evolve to higher levels of mutual respect, enlightened cultural norms. Be there every step of the way – having their back and being at their sides.

This is true regardless of where your leadership is sourced. When your leadership is based within your own identity and ownership of how you can effect positive change in your world it means that your leadership has a particular double-edged sword.

It’s leadership that can’t be taken away.  And yet, you are also the only person who can execute on the specifics of how you craft your leadership style and message.

Is your message, as Tim Ryan’s is, that we will not pretend it didn’t happen and we will learn to become the community where it will not happen again?

Is your message, as Dr. King’s was, that we can achieve it – that dreams can come true?

Your teams look to your leadership for cues –  and they find it in how you behave. They find it in how you express your expectations of their behavior, not just their deliverables.

This is how they can grow their Collaborative Spirit with your support – with the direction that the leader is responsible for.