The most powerful leadership tool you have might be your own clarity.
In the world of academic research, the word “leadership” tends to conjure images of deans, PIs, division chiefs, or the person whose name sits above yours on the org chart. But let’s get honest: leadership has never been about titles. It’s about design.
You don’t become a leader because someone gave you a role. You become a leader when you take ownership of how you show up — how you think, how you decide, how you move things forward when no one’s watching.
And in a system that often rewards busyness over clarity, and reactivity over intentionality, choosing to lead on purpose is one of the most radical acts you can take.
Leading from the Inside Out
If you’ve been following the True North series, you already know where this is going: values first, always. Leadership isn’t just about guiding others. It’s about guiding yourself — through complexity, ambiguity, burnout, and (let’s be honest) more Zoom meetings than anyone asked for.
When you use your mission, values, and season as your internal compass, everything gets easier to navigate — even when the terrain is rough. You’re not just making choices. You’re making aligned choices. That’s leadership.
Designing Your Way of Leading
At this point in your framework-building journey, it’s time to name how you lead best. Your “Project Design Principles” aren’t corporate fluff — they’re the building blocks of the systems, culture, and research environments you create.
Do you lead by simplifying chaos? By championing curiosity? By restoring joy when things get heavy?
Your design principles should reflect what matters most — not just what gets the job done, but what makes the job feel worth doing.
This Week’s Practice
Reflect on how you want to lead in the season you’re in right now:
- What are 2–3 phrases that describe the kind of leader you want to be (not just the one the system expects)?
- Where are you currently modeling your values in action — even when no one sees it?
- What’s one system, process, or mindset you could redesign to make leadership feel more aligned?
You don’t have to wait to be promoted. You don’t need a bigger platform.
You can lead — right now — by showing up with clarity, care, and conviction. The kind that starts with you, and echoes outward into the places you shape.
