October 31st, 2025
Dear Leaders,
Each week in We Are the Leaders, we explore what leadership looks like in motion — not as title or status, but as a way of being. This series is an invitation to notice the leadership already among us — and within us — especially in moments when the world feels uncertain, noisy, or on the verge of change.
Some leaders guide by speaking the loudest. Others lead by listening. In a world that often mistakes visibility for value, the Guide Leadership Type reminds us that wisdom lives in stillness — that presence itself can be transformative.
This Week’s Reflection: Jane Goodall — From Guide to Ignitor
Few people embodied the Guide’s strength more fully than Jane Goodall, whose recent passing leaves a quiet but profound void.
At just 26, she traveled from England to Tanzania to study chimpanzees — without formal scientific training, without a degree, and without a clear roadmap. What she had instead was curiosity, courage, and the capacity to listen.
Her presence among the chimpanzees of Gombe transformed the world’s understanding of intelligence, empathy, and community. She didn’t just study them; she connected with them. And in doing so, she redefined science itself — proving that knowledge without compassion isn’t understanding at all.
But Jane’s leadership didn’t stop there. A few weeks ago, my daughter’s classmates had the incredible opportunity to be in a room with her during one of her final visits to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo — the same city that once changed the course of her life.
In 1986, after attending a global conference of chimpanzee researchers at that zoo, Goodall witnessed the devastation facing chimp populations and the cruelty inflicted in labs and entertainment. She later said,
“I arrived at the conference as a scientist; I left as an activist.”
That moment marked her transformation — from Guide to Ignitor.
From listener to awakener. From quiet observer of life to fierce advocate for its preservation.
She shifted from studying connection to sparking it. She began traveling the globe, spending nearly 300 days a year urging others to care for the planet as deeply as she did. Her Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots program became vehicles of ignition — inspiring millions of young people to lead environmental and community change.
Even this September, at 91, she returned to Chicago to relaunch Roots & Shoots Basecamp, standing before a new generation of children and telling them that their ideas, however small, could change the world. Hearing how my daughter’s classmates were in that room — listening to her soft voice and fierce conviction — reminded me that her leadership never stopped evolving.
One of the parents who was there shared this reflection:
“These kids grew up learning about Jane Goodall, the legendary scientist. To them she is a superstar, but she was so down to earth and inspiring. They will remember that experience for the rest of their lives. She made them feel like their voices mattered and that they can truly effect change. I am forever grateful to her for that.”
That, to me, is the essence of leadership. Not just to inspire, but to ignite. To make others believe that their voice has power, and that they already have what it takes to begin.
Jane began as a Guide, teaching us to listen.
She ended as an Ignitor, reminding us to act.
Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Her life was proof that the journey from curiosity to courage is the essence of leadership itself.
From Reflection to Action
-
Where am I being called to move from listening to action — from observing to awakening
-
What truth or cause am I ready to step forward and champion, even if I once thought my role was simply to support?
Because leadership isn’t static.
It evolves as we do — from the quiet courage to understand, to the bold courage to awaken others.
Until Next Week
Next week, we’ll look at The Protector’s Way, exploring how emerging political leaders like Kina Collins embody resilience, authenticity, and the power to unite people around a moral vision for change. Her story reminds us that leadership isn’t about titles or position — it’s about protection, audacity, and the willingness to stand for others even when it’s hard.
|
