Leading from the Front, Standing in the Back

Integrity builds trust. Servant leadership honors it.

In the Army, leadership wasn’t just about rank on your chest — it was about how you carried yourself when the pressure hit. Some leaders barked orders from the sidelines, but the ones we respected most were the ones who shouldered the same weight, walked the same miles, and took the same risks. They didn’t ask anyone to do what they weren’t willing to do themselves. That’s where I learned that the best leaders don’t demand loyalty — they earn it.

Later, in my career, I found that lesson applied just as strongly in the civilian world. Titles and corner offices don’t inspire people. What inspires them is knowing you care more about their success than your own spotlight. It means taking the time to listen, sharing credit instead of hoarding it, and stepping into the hard conversations that protect your team.

At home, servant leadership became even more real. Fatherhood taught me that leadership isn’t about control; it’s about responsibility. It’s providing, protecting, and guiding — not for recognition, but because others are counting on you. Sometimes it meant sacrificing personal comfort or ambition so that my family had what they needed. And truthfully, those sacrifices never felt like losses — they felt like the clearest expression of what leadership is meant to be.

Servant leadership isn’t glamorous. It often goes unnoticed. But it has a ripple effect. When you show people you’re willing to put them first, they’re more likely to turn around and do the same for others. That’s how strong teams, strong families, and strong communities are built — not by chasing titles, but by lifting others.