KayleighFazan
Kayleigh Fazan
Icons of Influence
Intoday'sfast-evolvinggloballandscape,leadership
takesmanyforms—andamongitsmostimpactful expressionsistheinfluenceoficonicwomen leaderswhocontinuetoshapethefutureofindustries, communities,andcultures.CIOBusinessWorldis proudtospotlightthesetrailblazersinourspecial feature, Iconic Women Leaders,recognizingindividuals whosevision,resilience,anddeterminationstandas powerfulexamplesofleadershipinaction.
Thisfeatureisnotmerelyacelebrationofprofessional milestones;itisatributetothejourneys—often complex,andfrequentlyunderrepresented—thatthese womenhaveundertakentoreachtheforefrontoftheir respectivefields.Whetherintechnology,governance, socialinnovation,finance,orenterprise,theseleaders exemplifythequalitiesthatdrivemeaningful transformation:strategicinsight,empathetic engagement,andunwaveringresolve.
Eachprofileinthisissuereflectsadistinctivenarrative, yetcommonthemesresonatethroughout:thecourageto challengeconventionalnorms,theforesighttoembrace change,andthestrengthtoleadwithpurpose.These womenhavenotonlybrokenglassceilingsbuthave alsolaidfoundationsforthosewhofollow,openingnew spacesfortalent,innovation,andinclusion.
Theroleofwomeninleadershipcontinuestoexpand, butitremainscriticaltoamplifytheirvoicesandshare theirstories.Byhighlightingtheircontributions,weaim toinspirebothcurrentandaspiringleaderstoengage withthedeeperquestionsofwhatitmeanstolead—not justeffectively,butauthentically.Indoingso,wealso recognizethatleadershipisnotconfinedtotitlesor positions.Itisdefinedbyinfluence,character,andthe abilitytoelevateothers.
Thewomenfeaturedinthiseditionembodythespiritof modernleadership—notonlyachievingsuccessintheir ownrightbutalsoservingascatalystsforpositive changeintheirorganizationsandcommunities.They remindusthatinclusiveleadershipisnotatrend,buta necessityinnavigatingthecomplexchallengesoftoday's world.Theirabilitytoadapt,innovate,andmentoracross generationsreinforcestheideathatsustainable leadershipisgroundedinvaluesasmuchasinresults.
AtCIOBusinessWorld,webelievethatthefutureof leadershipisinclusive.Itisshapedbydiverse perspectivesandenrichedbythosewholeadwith integrityandintention.Thisfeatureisourcontributionto thatvision—anacknowledgmentofexcellence,anda platformforinspiration.
Wealsorecognizethatthestorieswetellplayavitalrole inshapingtheculturalnarrative.Bycuratingandsharing theachievementsofwomenwholeadwithdistinction, wenotonlycelebratetheiraccomplishmentsbutalso affirmtheimportanceofrepresentation.Visibilityis power—andthesestoriesmatter
Weextendourdeepestappreciationtothewomen featuredinthisissueforsharingtheirexperiencesand insights.Theirstoriesreaffirmourbeliefthatthepathto leadershipisnotalwayslinear,butitisalwaysworth navigatingwithcourageandconviction.
Asyoureadthroughthisedition,wehopeyoufind momentsofreflection,encouragement,andmotivation. Letthesenarrativesremindusallthatleadership,inits mosticonicform,isaboutmorethansuccess—itis aboutsignificance.Andthewomenleadingthatcharge aresettingastandardtheworldcannotaffordto overlook.
From theEditor’s desk
C o v e r S t o r y
Kayleigh Fazan
Building a Future Through Retail and Redening Leadership with Purpose
30 46 A Future Shaped by Hope Redefining Power, Purpose, and Progress
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June, 2025
Fazan Founder and Managing Director | The Interna onal
Kayleigh
KayleighFazan
Building a Future Through Retail and Redefining Leadership with Purpose
We work with some of the world’s most well-loved brands, designing fully integrated customer experience strategies, rolling out large-scale service transformation programs, and building leadership capability in fast-moving environments.
Intheever-evolvingworldofretail,wherechangeis constantandexpectationsrelentless,someleadersdon’t justrisetomeetthetide,theydefineitsdirection. KayleighFazanisonesuchvisionary AstheFounderand ManagingDirectorofTheInternationalRetailAcademy, shehasnotonlybuiltaninstitutionthattransformsretail serviceandleadershipbutalsoshapedaglobalmovement rootedinpurpose,resilience,andauthenticity.Herstoryis notoneofovernightsuccessorinheritedprivilege.Itisa testamenttogrit,heart,andthepowerfulbeliefthatretailcan changelivesandthatwomencanleadwithstrengthand softness,withoutcompromisingeither
FromUncertaintytoUnstoppable:TheJourneyThat SparkedaMovement
ForKayleigh,retailwasn’tastepping-stone.Itwassalvation. Herearlylife,markedbyinstabilityanduncertainty,included aperiodspentlivinginahostel.Inthatspaceofambiguity, wherethefuturewasfoggyandoptionsfew,retailopeneda door.Itgavehermorethanajob,itgaveheridentity, purpose,andawaytorewriteherstory Witheveryshift, everyrole,andeverychallenge,Kayleighbegantobuild herself.
Shedidn’tjustlearntheoperationalmechanicsofrunninga storeormanagingstock.Sheabsorbedthedeepervaluesof service;howtolistendeeply,howtoleadwithintention,and howtodevelopgritinthefaceofadversity.Herrisethrough theranksfromweekendstafftoleadershipwasn’tjusta careertrajectory.Itwasatransformation.
Butitwasn’tenoughforhertorisealone.Thesparkthatlit thefirebehindTheInternationalRetailAcademywasadesire togiveothersthesamechance.Totakeeverythingshe’d learnedandturnitintoaplatformforopportunity Aplace whereserviceisnotseenastransactional,but
transformational.Whereretailisnotafallback,buta foundation.Heracademybecameasanctuaryforfrontline workers,storemanagers,andexecutiveteams,a communitywhereretailischampionedandleadershipis cultivatedfromthegroundup.
AVisionRootedinRespect:EvolvingBeyondTraining
Whatstartedasamissiontoprofessionaliseretailservice quicklyevolvedintosomethingfarmoreexpansive.The initialgoalwasclear:toelevateservicestandards,instill prideintheprofession,andcreatestructured,world-class learningexperiencesthathonoredthecomplexityofretail work.ButasTheInternationalRetailAcademygrew,so diditsvision.
Every piece of content we create is designed to inspire action, not just tick a box.
Today,itstandsasastrategicpartnertosomeofthe world’smostbelovedretailbrands.Kayleighandherteam aren’tjustdeliveringtraining;theyareshapingcustomer experiencestrategies,leadingsweepingservice transformationprograms,andembeddingleadership frameworksintohigh-pressureenvironments.They
operatewitharareduality;deepempathyforthefrontlineand strategicclarityfortheboardroom.
TheAcademy’sevolutionfromworkshopproviderto transformationpartnerhasbeenfueledbyonesimpletruth:the bestinsightscomefromthegroundup.Bystayingconnected totherealitiesofretaillife,Kayleighensuresthatevery solutionisnotonlyaspirationalbutalsoactionable.Herwork isrootedinwhat’sreal,notjusttheory,butimpact.
BeingUnderestimated,NotDeterred
Navigatingleadershipasawomanoftenbringsauniquesetof challenges.ButforKayleigh,themostconsistentobstacle hasn’tbeenhergenderit’sbeenthesubtleandpersistent experienceofbeingunderestimated.
Inaworldwhereboardroomsoftenexpectfounderstolook, sound,andbehaveacertainway,Kayleigh’swarmth,humility, andunapologeticauthenticityhavesometimesbeenmetwith skepticism.Peoplehavemistakenherforthetrainer,notthe strategist.Thefacilitator,notthefounder
Butinsteadoflettingitdeterher,sheturneditintofuel. Preparation,consistency,andperformancebecameherarmor. Shelearnedtowalkintoeveryroomwithpurposeandtolet
Cover Story
theresultsofherworkspeaklouderthanassumptions.She refusedtoconformtooutdatedmoldsof“masculine leadership”andinsteadcarvedoutherownpath,onewhere kindnessandcredibilitycoexist.
Herleadershipstyledefiesthestereotype.Itisfierce,but notforceful.Itisclear,butnevercold.Andinstayingtrue toherself,she’snotonlybrokenthroughbarriersshe’s changedperceptionsofwhataleaderlooksandsoundslike.
DrivingInnovationThroughPracticalEmpathy
OneoftheAcademy’sdefiningstrengthsliesinitsabilityto innovatewithoutlosinghumanconnection.Whilemany trainingprovidersoperatefromthetop-downoftenfocusing onexecutiveframeworksandbroadpolicymandates, Kayleighhasflippedthescript.Shebelievesthatthemost powerfulchangesinbehaviorcomefromthoseclosestto thecustomer.
That’swhyherteamspendssomuchtimeontheshopfloor. Theylistentothevoicesofstorestaff,observechallenges firsthand,andtestsolutionsinreal-worldconditions.Every strategy,everyprogram,andeverytoolisbuiltwith practicalityatitscore.
Innovation,inKayleigh’seyes,isn’taboutflashytechor jargon-ladenmodels.It’sabouttransformationthatsticks. Whetherthat’sthroughroadshows,virtualbroadcasts, digitaltoolkits,orcoachingguides,thegoalisthesame: helppeopledobetterwork,feelmoreconfident,and connectemotionallywithcustomers.
TheAcademy’scontentisn’tjustinformative,it’s inspirational.Fromstorytelling-drivenmodulestogamified learningexperiences,everyelementiscraftedtosparknot justknowledge,butaction.Kayleigh’sapproachblends creativitywithconsistency,ensuringthatinnovationis alwaysinserviceofprogress,notjustperformancemetrics.
ChampioningWomen,ElevatingEquity
InsidetheAcademyandbeyond,Kayleighhasmadegender equityalivedvalue,notjustacorporatetalkingpoint.Her teamreflectsthisethos,withpowerful,talentedwomenin everyrolefromstrategistsandcreativestofieldcoaches deliveringprogramsontheground.
Shedesignsflexiblerolesthatsupportworkingparents, providesvisibilityandownershipforwomenatalllevels, andensuresthatleadershipdevelopmentisn’tconfinedtoa selectfew.Inparticular,sheshinesalightontheoftenoverlookedmiddlelayeroffemaleleadersthedeputy managers,areasupportteams,andrisingstarswhosimply needtherightencouragementtomoveforward.
Kayleigh’sprogramsarebuiltwithintentionality,paying closeattentiontolanguage,representation,and accessibility.Andasaleader,shewalkshertalk.Sheshares herpersonaljourney,notasacuratedsuccessstory,butasa realreflectionofwhatitmeanstobuildabusinesswhile raisingafamilyandholdingtruetoyourvalues.
Hermessagetootherwomeninmale-dominatedspacesis simpleandpowerful:don’twait.Don’twaittobeready Don’twaittobechosen.Leadershipisaboutshowingup, speakingclearly,andbackingyourself.Findyourvoice. Useit.Andprotectyourenergyalongtheway,because clarityandconfidencegrowfromwellness,notburnout.
AdaptingtoaNewRetailReality
Theretaillandscapetodayismoredemandingthanever Customerexpectationsareunforgiving,competitionis fierce,andteamsareundermountingpressure.Formany brands,servicehasbecomethelastrealdifferentiator,one badexperienceandthecustomerisgone.
Kayleighunderstandsthisshiftdeeply.That’swhythe Academydoesn’trelyonone-offsessionsortick-box training.Instead,theybuildholisticprogramsthatinclude coaching,peerlearning,behavioralmodeling,and consistentreinforcement.Theirfocusisonbehavior change,notjustknowledgetransfer
They’vealsoadaptedtothedemandforscaleandspeed creatingtoolkits,processes,andplaybooksthatintegrate seamlesslyintodailyretailoperationswithout overwhelmingalreadystretchedteams.Andperhapsmost importantly,theyprioritiseemotionalconnection.Because inKayleigh’swords,retailisemotional.It’snotjustabout productknowledgeortransactionalefficiency,it’sabout creatingmomentsthatmakepeoplefeelseen,valued,and remembered.
Herworkisabouthelpingbrandsdeliverthosemomentsat scaleandindoingso,buildloyalty,trust,andsustainable growth.
ALegacyThatGoesBeyondBusiness
ForKayleigh,TheInternationalRetail Academyismorethanacompany,it’sa mission.Avehicleforchangingperceptions, elevatingservice,andshowingtheworldthat retailisacareerofsubstanceandpride.
Shewantstoshiftthenarrativeentirely.To rewritetheoutdatedbeliefthatretailis somethingyoufallinto,ratherthanchoose.Her dreamisforthenextgenerationtoseeitasa spaceofopportunity,wheretheycanbuilda meaningfulcareer,travel,lead,andmakea difference.
Herlegacy,shehopes,willbetwofold.Thatthe Academyhelpedmillionsofpeopleleadbetter, servebetter,andfeelfulfilledintheirroles.And thatitprovedyoudon’tneedtobethebiggest tohavethebiggestimpact-youjustneed courage,care,andthewillingnesstodeliveron yourpromises.
Andonapersonalnote,shewantshersonto growupknowingthathismotherbuilt
Within The International Retail Academy, our team includes powerful, talented women at every level, from creative and strategic roles to talented freelance field coaches working on high-profile rollouts.
somethingnotjustsuccessful,butsignificant.Amovement groundedinvalues,drivenbypurpose,andpoweredby love.
LeadingwithIntention,LivingwithJoy
Balancingleadership,family,andpersonalwell-beingisn’t aluxury,it’sadiscipline.Kayleighdoesn’tstumbleupon balance.Shecreatesitwithintentionality,everysingleday. Sheprotectshertimeandenergyfiercely,structuringher weekstosupportbothperformanceandpeace.
Hernon-negotiablesarequalityfood,gymsessions, focusedworkblocks,andfamilytime,notjustroutines. Theyareritualsthatfuelherresilience.Andthatresilience comesfromknowingher“why.”Fromrememberingthe uncertaintysheoncelivedwith,andtheclarityshenow carries.
Througheverychallenge,thatsenseofpurposegroundsher Shedoesn’tleadforapplause.Sheleadstoserve.Touplift. Tobuildsomethinglasting.Andindoingso,shemodelsa kindofleadershipthatisbothrareanddesperatelyneeded, onewheresuccessismeasurednotonlybygrowthcharts, butbythelivesyouimpactalongtheway.
TheNextFiveYears:GrowthwithHeart
Lookingahead,Kayleighenvisionsafuturewherethe Academyexpandsitsreachanddeepensitsinfluence. WhiletheirworkalreadyspanstheUKandEurope,there’s aclearopportunitytobringtheirethosandexpertiseinto globalretailmarketshungryfortransformation.
She’sparticularlyexcitedaboutpartneringwithbrandswho arereadytoinvestinservicenotjustasafunctional necessity,butasacoregrowthstrategy Andaspartofthat expansion,sheplanstocontinuedevelopingproprietary content,courses,andtoolsthattranscendtheworkshop roomandcreatelastingimpactineverycorneroftheretail world.
Onthepersonalfront,shedreamsofwritingabookortwo. Somethingthatencapsulatesthespiritofherwork: practical,energising,anddeeplyhuman.Andaboveall,she wantstokeeplivingfully Togrowwithoutrushing.Tolead withlove.Toraisehersoninanenvironmentthatvalues balance,purpose,andjoy.
BecauseattheheartofeverythingKayleighFazandoes, whethershe’sonastage,inaboardroom,orathome,isthe
beliefthatleadershipisn’taboutego.It’saboutservice. Aboutshowingupwithcourage,buildingwithintegrity, andcreatingspaceforotherstorise.
Andinthat,sheisn’tjustrevampingthefutureofretail. She’sredefiningwhatitmeanstolead.
A Future Shaped by Hope
Hopeisaquietforce.Itdoesn'talways
arrivewithfanfareorheadlines. Sometimes,it'sthesoftpersistenceof someonestandingupwhennooneelsewill.Other times,it'sthecalm,steadyvoiceintheroom saying,“Wecandobetter.”Intheworldof leadership,fewsymbolscarrymorehopethanthe riseofwomenwholeadwithpurpose,clarity,and compassion.
Thesewomenarenotonlyleadingnations, industries,andmovements—theyareshowingus thatthefutureisstillopen,stillunwritten,andstill fullofpromise.Throughtheirwork,iconicwomen leadersembodytheideathatprogressisnotonly possible,butinevitablewhenpeoplebelievein better.
ThePowerofPossibility
Everywomanwhostepsintoleadershipbringswith herarippleofhope.Sherepresentsmorethanjust apersonalvictory—shebecomesasymbolof what'spossibleforothers.Hersuccessisneverhers alone;it'saquietinvitationtootherstofollow,to dream,todare.
Hope,inthiscontext,isnotnaïve.Itisradical.Itisthe beliefthatsystemscanevolve,culturescanchange,andthat leadershipcanbebotheffectiveandempathetic.Women wholeadremindusthateventhemostcomplexproblems canbemetwithfreshideasandahumanheart.
HopeinAction
You'llfindhopeinthewaytheseleaderswork.Theylisten withintention.Theybuildbridgeswherewallsoncestood. Theyseekoutcollaborationinsteadofcompetition.They centertheirdecisionsaroundcommunities,notjustbottom lines.Whetheradvocatingforeducation,climatejustice, innovation,orhealthequity,theirapproachisgroundedin thebeliefthatabetterworldiswithinreach.
Andevenwhenfacedwithresistance,thesewomen persist—notoutofobligation,butoutofadeepbeliefthat tomorrowisworthfightingfor.
ShapingTomorrowThroughPresence
There'ssomethingquietlypowerfulaboutseeingawoman lead.Itsendsasignaltothenextgenerationthatleadership doesn'thaveoneface,onevoice,oronestyle.Itcreates spaceformorestories,moreperspectives,andmoreways ofsolvingproblems.
Italsobreakspatternsoffear Whenweseewomenin positionsofinfluence,weareremindedthatstrengthcomes inmanyforms—andthatgrace,empathy,andhumilityare notweaknesses,butstrengthsthattransformhowwelead.
AHope-FilledLegacy
Thegreatestleadersdon'tjustleavepoliciesorprograms behind.Theyleavehope.Theyleavethesensethatweare capableofmore.Iconicwomenleadersplantseedsinthe mindsofthosewhowatchthem—notjustseedsof ambition,butofcare,curiosity,andcourage.
Theyalsocreatelegaciesthataredeeplyhuman.Legacies thatshowit'sokaytoleadwithemotion,toadmit uncertainty,andtoaskotherstorisealongsideyou.Their storiesbecomemirrorsinwhichotherscanseetheirown strength.
HopeIsContagious
What'sremarkableishowquicklyhopespreads.One
womanbreakingbarriersintechinspiresawaveofgirlsto studySTEM.Onewomanadvocatingforcleanwatergives anentirevillageareasontobelieve.Onewomanstartinga businesschangesnotjustherlife,butthelivesofeveryone sheemploys.
Hope,inthehandsofaleader,becomesmomentum.
LookingtotheHorizon
Thechallengeswefacetoday—social,environmental, economic—canfeeloverwhelming.Butinthepresenceof womenwholeadwithvisionandheart,wearereminded thatwearenotstuck.Changeisnotjustcoming—itis alreadyhappening.It'shappeninginclassrooms,in boardrooms,inhomes,andinthemindsofpeoplewhoare choosingtobelievethatbetterispossible.
Hopeisnotalwaysloud.Butitisalwayspresentinthe workofthosewholeadwithintentionandintegrity.Iconic womenleadersdon'tjustrepresenthope—they activate it.
Theirriseshowsusthattheworldwe'rebuildingdoesn't havetoechotheworldweinherited.Itcanbemorejust. Morekind.Moreopen.Moreunited.
Letthisnotbeafinalword,butabeginning.Asignalto keepmoving,tokeepbelieving,andtokeepcreatingspace foreveryperson—nomattertheirbackground—torise.
Hopeisalreadyhere.It'srisingineverywomanwholeads, andineverypersonsheinspires.
You'redoinggreat.
Redefining Power,
Purpose, & Progress
Ineveryera,certainvoicesriseabovethenoise
leaderswhosepresencenotonlyinfluences decisionsbutreshapessystems,cultures,and expectations.Amongthesetrailblazers,iconicwomen leadersstandoutnotsimplyfortheirachievements, butfortheresilience,clarity,andcompassionthey bringtoleadership.Theyleadnotbyemulating traditionalpowerstructuresbutbyredefiningthem, transformingchallengesintochangeandbreaking groundwhereotherssawlimits.
Theemergenceofwomeninleadershiprolesisnot new,buttheglobalrecognitionandsupportoftheir influencehasgrownsignificantlyoverthelastfew decades.Theseleadersarenotdefinedbysectoror geographytheycanbefoundingovernment,business, technology,education,activism,science,thearts,and more.Whatunitesthemissharedcouragetostep forward,speaktruthtopower,andbuildmovements thatoutlastthem.
LeadershipThroughVisionandGrit
Whatmakesawomanleadericonicisn'tjusthertitle orposition;it'sthevisionshecarriesandthegritwith
whichshepursuesit.Iconicleadersoftenrisethrough adversity.Theyturnbarriersintosteppingstonesanduse criticismasfuelratherthandeterrent.Theycouldremain groundedwhilethinkingglobally,andmaketough decisionswithbothstrengthandempathy
Leadershipisneverasoloact.Manyiconicwomenleaders areknownfortheirabilitytobuildstrongcoalitionsand fostercollaboration.Theyprioritizeinclusion,liftemerging voices,andunderstandthatlong-lastingchangeisbuiltwith others,notinisolation.Theyleadmovements,notjust organizations.
BeyondtheGlassCeiling
Forgenerations,womenhavehadtonavigateleadershipin spacesdesignedwithouttheminmind.Fromboardroomsto parliaments,they'vehadtobreakthroughtheso-called glassceiling—andmanyhavedoneso,notbysimplyfitting in,butbychangingtheshapeoftheroomentirely They bringaleadershipstylethatoftenemphasizesemotional intelligence,adaptability,andpurpose-drivenstrategies.
Thisevolutioninleadershipisnotonlygoodforwomen; it'sgoodfortheworld.Studiesconsistentlyshowthat diverseleadershipteamsmakebetterdecisions,drivehigher financialperformance,andaremoretrustedby stakeholders.Inthislight,theriseofwomeninleadershipis notjustamatterofequalityit'sastrategicimperative.
RoleModelsandRippleEffects
Iconicwomenleadersinspirenotjustthroughwhatthey achieve,butthroughthepaththeyleaveforothers.Whena younggirlseesawomanleadingacompany,deliveringa keynote,orstandingatthehelmofacountry,her imaginationofwhat'spossiblebeginstoexpand.These leadersserveasbothproofandpossibility
Theyalsoredefinesuccess.Manychoosetospeakopenly aboutwork-lifebalance,mentalhealth,motherhood,and identity.Bydoingso,theybroadenthenarrativearound leadershipandchallengeoutdatedstereotypes.Their authenticitybecomesaforceaspowerfulastheirauthority
InnovationWithHumanLens
Iconicwomenleadersareoftenattheforefrontof innovation,buttheyapproachinnovationthroughahuman lens.Whetherit'stechnologicaladvancement,policy reform,orsocialentrepreneurship,theyfrequentlycenter
theimpactonpeople.Theyasknotonly can wedo something,but should weand for whom?Theirleadership doesn'tjustpushboundaries,itquestionsthem.
Theirabilitytolistendeeply,actboldly,andstayconnected topurposeallowsthemtonavigateuncertaintywithclarity. Inaworldthatoftenrewardsshort-termwins,theseleaders thinkingenerations.
LeadershipthatLasts
Trueleadershipisn'tjustaboutpower,it'saboutlegacy Iconicwomenleadersbuildecosystemsthatoutlivethem. Theymentorthenextgeneration.Theycreateculturesof trustandopenness.Theydon'tjustleavebehindpoliciesor profits,theyleavebehindpeoplewhoaremoreempowered, aware,andequipped.
Asmorewomenrisetoleadership,theyarenotjust participatinginexistingframeworkstheyareredesigning them.Leadershipisnolongerdefinedbycommand-andcontrolhierarchiesbutbycollaboration,impact,and authenticity.Andwomenareleadingthatchange.
LookingAhead
Theroadisfarfromfinished.Therearestillsystemicgaps, unconsciousbiases,andinstitutionalchallengesto overcome.Butthepresenceoficonicwomenleadershas alreadyshiftedtheglobaldialogue.Theyhaveproventhat leadershipisnotaboutfittingintoamold,it'sabout reshapingthemolditself.
Tocelebratetheseleadersisnotonlytohonortheir achievementsbuttorecognizeabroadershiftinhowthe worlddefinesstrength,influence,andprogress.Thefuture ofleadershipishereandit'smorediverse,moredynamic, andmorehumanthaneverbefore.
Keeprising.
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
