One Year Later

Around this time last year, I posed a question to all of you: What if we shifted our focus from "culture" to "community" in the workplace? Culture may describe what connects us in our shared tasks, but community is what binds us through commonalities and diversity. It’s the shared pursuit of building the future, serving others, and investing in relationships that truly forms a community.

Now, almost 52 weeks later, I want to thank you for joining me on this year-long writing journey and for being part of my community. Your encouragement and the comments you’ve left on LinkedIn and Facebook have meant the world to me.

Reflecting on the Journey

Here’s a look back at the themes and insights we explored over the past year:

• Creating Community
  We began with the idea of fostering community—whether in the workplace or beyond—through belonging, hospitality, and the concept of the Upside-Down Community Leader. This model taught us that to gain, we must serve; to receive, we must give; true greatness comes from humility; weakness can be a strength; and leadership is rooted in service.

• Hope, Humanity, and Humility
  Hope was described as the faint glimmer on the horizon that keeps us moving forward in love. We explored humanity through the Hebrew concept of hesed, which combines love and loyalty, encouraging us to honor others without expectation. Humility was framed as an ongoing practice of growth and self-awareness—seeking to understand, practicing gratitude, admitting mistakes, and serving others. Lastly, we discussed the “fabric of love” through helpfulness—paying attention to opportunities to empathize, acknowledge truth, and act when needed.

• Embracing Change
  Change is often challenging for communities, as it introduces the unfamiliar and displaces the old. We explored how understanding people’s emotions during change is crucial for acceptance. The Change Formula (D x V x F > R) provided a framework to help communities not just endure change but thrive within it.

• Listening as Leadership
  Viewing the community leader as a Chief Listener became a key theme. We delved into managing conflict through emotional regulation, connection, and reasoning, and emphasized listening as one of the most valuable tools for advancement.

• Building Trust
  Trust was identified as the foundation of leadership, and we drew parallels to how bees use pheromones to encourage unity and followership.

• Facilitation
  Leaders often act as facilitators, and we explored their various roles, even offering a go-to script for navigating group dynamics effectively.

• Nurturing Followers
  We examined how followers evolve through the Tree Cycle: seedling, adolescence, disgruntled, and mature. This concept of “Greenthumb Leadership” helps leaders understand the growth stages of their team members and adapt accordingly.

• The Deep Ocean Model
  We compared followers' underlying beliefs to deep ocean currents that shape surface behaviors. Leaders must address these hidden beliefs to drive meaningful change, rather than just reacting to visible actions.

• Case Studies
  To ground our discussions, we looked at real-world examples:

  • Microsoft and Greenthumb Leadership

  • Google and the CAMP Method of Motivation

  • LinkedIn and the Leadership Growth Lattice

  • Pixar and the Deep Ocean Model of Belief and Behavior

• Leadership Insights from History
  During election season, we examined Lincoln’s leadership style and reflected on what happens when a vision gets lost—and how to find it again.

• Looking Ahead
  As the year drew to a close, we discussed the importance of aligning with our values, fostering trust and vulnerability for breakthrough innovation, and envisioning leadership in an era of remote and hybrid work heading into 2025.

A Moment of Reflection

This post is both a reminder of where we’ve been and a celebration of the work we’ve done together. Every Monday, I’ve sought to share something meaningful to inspire thought and action for the week ahead. Writing has been a journey of self-discovery and growth for me—you have to put your own oxygen mask on first. It’s rewarding to reflect on the themes we’ve woven together and the leadership insights we’ve uncovered.

Leadership is not accidental; it is purposeful. Like any skill, it requires study and practice. My hope is that you’ve found value in this journey and that it’s sparked your own growth as a leader.

Looking to the Future

What other leadership topics would you like to explore? What resonated most with you this year? What lessons will you carry forward into next year?

As the author, my greatest reward is knowing that you’ve been served. Thank you for being part of this community.