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 team when we’re building something bold and unscripted
Stay focused on solutions, not just the problems

But I’ve also had to get real with myself about my blind spots:

Overcommitting to prove my worth
Staying silent when I know I should speak up
Second-guessing my instincts because they don’t come with consensus or data

The difference between spiraling and thriving? Self-awareness. And the willingness to pause, reflect, and pivot⁶.

I remember one turning point clearly: our school community was reeling post-COVID. Morale was low. Trust was fractured. I leaned into my intuition and led the integration of a trauma-informed SEL model—not because it was on trend, but because I knew it was what our students and staff needed. That choice—made from the gut—helped rebuild connection and transform our culture. It reminded me that intuition isn't soft. It's strategic⁷.

We’re in a moment—across education and leadership more broadly—where the old models are breaking down. Compliance-based systems. Fear-driven hierarchies. One-size-fits-all approaches. They’re no match for the complexity we face today⁸.

What’s rising in their place is a new kind of leader. One who blends strategy with soul. Who listens deeply—not just to others, but to themselves. Who isn’t afraid to say: “This is misaligned—and I’m willing to lead the change.”

That’s the kind of leader I strive to be every day. Not perfect. Not polished. But honest. Grounded. Purpose-driven.

Because no matter how far I go or how high I climb, the most important thing I can do as a leader is this:

Trust myself—and teach others to do the same⁹.

References

Blake, Richard, and Jane Mouton. "The Managerial Grid Model." In The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management, edited by Nigel Nicholson, Pino G. Audia, and Madan Pillutla, 1-2. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005.
Drucker, Peter F. "Managing oneself." Harvard Business Review 83, no. 1 (2005): 100-109.
Goffee, Rob, and Gareth Jones. "Why should anyone be led by you?" Harvard Business Review 78, no. 5 (2000): 62-70.
Heifetz, Ronald A., and Marty Linsky. "A survival guide for leaders." Harvard Business Review 81, no. 6 (2003): 65-74.
Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Wiley, 2012.
Kotter, John P. "What leaders really do." Harvard Business Review 79, no. 11 (2001): 85-96.
Leithwood, Kenneth, Karen Seashore Louis, Stephen Anderson, and Kyla Wahlstrom. "How leadership influences student learning." Review of Research in Education 30, no. 1 (2004): 575-619.
Senge, Peter M. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday, 2006.
Yukl, Gary. "Leadership in organizations." In Globalization, Culture, and Branding, 69-104. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.