The Leadership Playbook: What Great Leaders Do Differently.
Leadership is not reserved for the chosen few or the naturally gifted. It’s a learned skill—shaped in boardrooms, honed in everyday conversations, and tested in moments of pressure. We all have the potential to lead better, and one of the most powerful ways to grow is to learn from those who’ve led well.
One such leader is Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations at Disney. His teachings, along with the clarity of thought from Keith Leonard, have deeply influenced my view on leadership. Their wisdom isn’t revolutionary—but that’s precisely why it’s powerful. It’s simple, grounded, and deeply human. It’s a reminder of what we often forget when we’re under stress, overwhelmed, or caught up in the doing.
This is a guide to help you remember when you need it most.
Everyone is important.
Every human being wants to feel seen, heard, and valued. Recognition isn’t just a reward—it's fuel. When people feel invisible, they shrink. When they feel acknowledged, they rise. Leadership is the daily practice of making people feel that they matter—not just for what they do, but for who they are.
Notice the people fading into the background and staying small because of a lack of recognition.
Reflection Questions:
Who on your team feels overlooked or unimportant?
Are you recognising effort, or only outcomes?
What small habits of appreciation can you build into your leadership style?
When was the last time you thanked someone for doing their job well?
How can you build in more moments of recognition?
Lead with the energy you want to see.
The energy you bring as a leader permeates the team like an oil diffuser. You set the emotional tone. If you’re anxious, reactive, or frazzled, your team feels it. If you’re grounded, calm, and hopeful, they mirror that too. Culture is contagious, and you are the carrier.
People don’t remember slogans—they remember how your team made them feel. And how your people feel is directly connected to how they’re led.
Most importantly, how your people feel is how your customers will feel.
Reflection Questions:
If I shadowed your team for a day, what values would I witness in action?
Do your customers describe your team the same way you do?
What emotions do you consistently bring into the room?
How are you shaping your team’s energy during high-pressure moments?
Training happens in moments. Not just the classroom.
Leadership isn’t just about sending people to training—it’s about making development a daily habit. Every conversation, every meeting, every setback is a chance to coach, shape, and guide. Great leaders don’t wait for the workshop—they turn real-time into real growth.
Training done well builds muscle memory, enabling people to perform under pressure. It turns values into behaviour and culture into consistency.
Reflection Questions:
What are your people learning accidentally because you haven’t taught them intentionally?
If someone new joined tomorrow, would they learn the right way or the default way?
What conversations can you turn into coaching moments this week?
What can you do today to make your team stronger six months from now?
Remove Obstacles.
Tiny frustrations steal energy. Clunky systems, unspoken rules, slow approvals—these are the invisible weights your team carries daily. Great leaders ask, What’s slowing my team down? and then do the work to remove it.
When you take away what's draining them, you give back the space for them to do their best work. You unlock not just productivity—but possibility.
Reflection Questions:
What do your people silently tolerate every day?
If you did their job for a week, what would frustrate you most?
Have you asked your team: What’s getting in the way of your best work?
What’s one small hassle you could eliminate this week?
Learn the Truth.
Psychological safety is the foundation of great teams. If people don’t feel safe to speak up, you’ll only hear what’s comfortable, not what’s true. Leaders who fear bad news create cultures of silence—and silence is not clarity.
Invite the truth. Reward it. Because the moment people stop telling you what’s wrong, you stop being able to lead effectively.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time someone gave you hard, unfiltered feedback—and how did you respond?
Where in your organisation is silence being mistaken for alignment?
What am I doing (or not doing) that makes it hard for people to be honest?
Ask your team: What’s something I don’t see that I need to see?
What’s something no one is saying out loud that we need to address?
Burn the Free Fuel.
Encouragement costs nothing—but it changes everything. A leader’s words shape the stories people tell about themselves. When you consistently highlight strengths, you help people rewrite their internal narrative. And confident people do extraordinary work.
Start meetings with praise. Notice the quiet effort. Call out progress, not just perfection.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time you offered specific, meaningful praise?
Do you have a ritual for celebrating wins—big or small?
What strengths are you highlighting in your team members?
What would happen if your team meetings started with appreciation, rather than administration?
Develop Character.
If people could only observe you—without hearing your words—what would they assume matters most to you? Character isn’t what you say, it’s what you consistently do. It’s the quiet alignment between your values and your behaviour, especially when no one is watching.
Great leadership isn’t measured in moments of ease but in moments of pressure. Character is the ability to hold space for discomfort without reacting. It’s staying grounded when others spiral. It’s choosing integrity over convenience. And it’s having the humility to say, “I was wrong,” and mean it.
Do you stay true to your principles even when external pressure is high? Or do you bend when it’s easier than standing firm? The truth is, character is practised in the shadows long before it ever shows up in the spotlight. It’s not something you reach for in crisis—it’s something you’ve built before crisis arrives.
Don’t wait for the storm to demonstrate ethics, empathy, or discipline. Be the person whose values are evident in every conversation, every decision, and every relationship.
Imagine it’s the future. You’ve retired. There’s a portrait of you on the wall, a brass plaque underneath it. What do you want people to say about who you were when you were in the room—and even more so, when you weren’t?
Reflection Questions:
If someone silently observed your leadership for a month, what would they say you value most?
Are your decisions aligned with your values, even under pressure?
Do you treat everyone with the same respect, regardless of their title or usefulness to you?
What emotional residue do people leave your presence carrying?
What are you modelling to the quiet observers, learning what leadership looks like?
How do you want to be remembered when you’re no longer in the room?
Final thoughts: Define your legacy before it’s defined for you.
Leadership is not a title—it’s a responsibility. It’s the ripple effect of your behaviour, tone, values, and presence. The legacy of a leader isn’t built in a crisis. It’s built in the quiet, consistent moments when you choose to show up differently.
Your team doesn’t need perfection. They need presence. They need someone who sees them, believes in them, and clears the path so they can thrive.
Ask yourself:
What kind of impact do I want to leave?
Who am I becoming as I lead others?
What will they remember when I’m not in the room?
What am I doing to help them become their best version of themselves?
Leadership can be learned. Let’s do the work—together. If this message resonates with you and you’re ready to deepen your leadership impact, I’d be honoured to walk the journey with you.
Here's to your next level of leadership.
Warm wishes,
Lori