What Leadership Really Means (And What We’re Forgetting)

I could not live with myself if, after decades of studying and teaching leadership, I didn’t take a moment to invite reflection on what has unfolded over the past few days.

This is not a political post. It’s a human one. A leadership one.

Because beneath the headlines, the tariffs, the market drops and the frantic commentary, something far more troubling has emerged, and it has to do with how we lead, and what we’ve come to accept as normal.

What Leadership Really Means

As someone who’s spent decades inside boardrooms, classrooms and conversations with leaders around the world, here’s what I know:

True leadership doesn’t panic.
It doesn’t retaliate.
It doesn’t punch back harder just to feel strong.

Real leadership holds.
It creates space for complexity.
It adapts with humility.
It takes responsibility for impact, even unintended ones.

What concerns me most right now is not just the tariffs or the economic impact, but the tone of leadership. The language of enemies and revenge. The performance of strength without the presence of wisdom.

When leaders abandon long-term vision for short-term reaction, the whole system tilts. And it doesn’t just affect those in power. It ripples outward; to the fruit seller in Phnom Penh, the supply chain worker in Ohio, the migrant family in transit, the investor reading market signals like a cardiogram.

Leadership is not neutral. It either uplifts or destabilises, and right now, we are seeing what happens when it does the latter.

Disclaimer:
I know not everyone reading this will agree with me. That’s okay. My goal is to invite reflection, that’s it. If you're reading this through a different lens, I respect that and I welcome dialogue grounded in curiosity, not combat.

This Isn’t Just a Market Story. It’s a Moral One

In the last week, policy shifts in the U.S. triggered what Fundstrat (a financial research firm) called “Massacre Day.” But the pain wasn’t just in Wall Street volatility; it was in the breach of trust.

Markets can recover. But trust? That takes time. And right now, the unspoken agreement that leadership offers stability even when policies change has been broken.

Beyond the data, the real damage is unfolding in poorer nations where exports mean survival. 

The Cost of Ego Over Integrity

We are watching what happens when ego takes the wheel of leadership; when decisions are made for applause, not alignment for dominance, not development.

Leadership rooted in reactivity is not a strength. It’s fragility with a megaphone. And it leaves people, citizens, nations and investors destabilised and disoriented.

If we continue to accept leadership that thrives on division, that reduces diplomacy to deals, and public service to self-promotion, we risk more than volatility. We risk becoming desensitised to dysfunction.

Am I Naïve for Wanting More?

Maybe this sounds too idealistic. Maybe it’s outdated to believe that leadership should still be wise, grounded and respectful.

But I don’t think so.

Am I crazy to propose a kind of leadership that inspires respect for citizens, rather than seeking obedience or revenge?

I don’t think so. I think many of us are longing for it, even if we don’t yet have the words.

What We Need Now

This isn’t about policies or platforms. It’s about remembering what responsibility looks like when you’re in a position of power. Whether you’re a head of state, a team leader or a teacher, the same principles apply.

We need:

• Leaders who listen before they speak.
• Policies driven by wisdom, not wounds.
• Courage that chooses restraint, not retaliation.
• Citizens who remember that democracy requires participation, not just reaction.

The last seven days have been loud. But real leadership isn’t about being loud. It’s about clarity in the quiet. It’s about the willingness to stand in complexity without weaponising it. It’s about understanding that the greatest power we hold is the ability to choose how we show up, especially when things break down.

We still have the chance and the responsibility to remember what leadership truly means.

Let’s not forget it again.