The Courage to Course-Correct: Lessons in Intuitive, Transformational Leadership

For a long time, I thought being a strong leader meant having every answer, never flinching, and always staying one step ahead. However, over the years—especially during the toughest professional moments—I’ve learned that my most powerful leadership tool isn’t certainty or control. It’s intuition¹.

That gut feeling. The quiet voice that says, “This is your path—even if no one else sees it yet.”

If I had to name the one skill that has saved me, propelled me, and grounded me—it’s been the ability to trust myself. That doesn’t mean I’ve always made perfect decisions. I haven’t. I’ve taken detours, stayed too long in toxic systems, and silenced my instincts for the sake of keeping the peace².

But every time I’ve made a misstep, I’ve also found the courage to course-correct—not because someone gave me permission, but because that inner compass lit up and said: “You know better. Now lead better.”

In the early stages of my career, I was a high-achiever, a problem-solver, a “yes” person. I thought leadership meant being everything to everyone—fixing every issue, carrying every burden, staying agreeable³.

And for a while, that worked. I moved up. I was respected.

But I was also exhausted. I started to feel disconnected from the reason I chose education in the first place: to create meaningful, student-centered, equity-driven change⁴.

I had to unlearn the idea that leadership is about being palatable or safe. True leadership—transformational leadership—requires something much harder: standing in your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. It means making decisions rooted in values, not popularity. It means being willing to challenge the system, even when you’re the only one doing it⁵.

Over time, I’ve learned that the healthiest, most impactful version of myself shows up when I:

• Listen to my gut—especially when something feels misaligned

• Trust my vision—even when it disrupts the norm

• Give grace to myself and my