Hi friend,

July is Disability Pride Month.

There was a time when I didn't really see myself in it.

I'd acknowledge it and reshare posts.

I'd celebrate the importance of belonging, accessibility, and creating spaces where everyone can thrive because that's important to me, but I didn't necessarily think it was about me.

Over the last few years, though, something has been slowly shifting.

My ADHD diagnosis has given me language for things I'd spent most of my life trying to explain away.

And when I realized that ADHD wasn't the whole picture but

Anxiety.

Trauma.

Hyper-independence.

and patterns I had mistaken for personality were all interconnected

things started to make sense.

For years, I thought my greatest strength was willpower.

Heck, I could push through almost anything. Don't tell me I can't do something.

But I've realized that what I've been calling "willpower" was often just survival wrapped up in a nice costume.

And once I saw that...I couldn't unsee it.

It made me start asking questions, not just about myself, but about leadership. About why some people thrive while others struggle.

About why so many of us are so quick to label people as 'lazy,' 'unmotivated,' 'difficult,' or 'resistant' before we ever investigate what's getting in the way.

That's the investigation I've been on lately.

And it's changing the way I see everything...

This Week's Investigation

Was it really willpower... or was it survival?

For years, I believed success came from trying harder.

Now I think it comes from reducing friction.

My ADHD diagnosis didn't just teach me how my brain works.

It changed how I think about leadership.

Because if I've learned anything, it's this:

People don't fail from a lack of effort nearly as often as they fail from a lack of systems.

I unpacked the full story, including how joining a creativity program unexpectedly led me into an investigation of trauma, stillness, and survival.

I wrote more about this:

READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION HERE

People don't fail from a lack of effort nearly as often as they fail from a lack of systems.

This Week’s Leadership Question

Think about someone on your team who seems to be "trying, but struggling."

Before asking,

"How do I get them to try harder?"

Ask yourself:

What (friction) might be getting in their way?

Write down three things that make success harder than it needs to be.

Then, remove one.

Join the Investigation

If you've been enjoying these case files, you'll probably enjoy Leadership Without a Playbook.

We'll investigate real leadership situations together, challenge assumptions, and learn how curiosity creates better leaders than judgment ever will.

I’m hosting Leadership Without a Playbook: An Investigation on Wednesday, July 9 at 3:00 PM ET.

If you’ve ever wondered whether leadership feels difficult because of who you are…

or because nobody ever handed you the systems, language, or handbook to succeed…

I’d love to have you join us.

SAVE YOUR SEAT

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