AMERICAN BEAUTY— She may be a convincing speaker and attractive to look at, but that doesn’t mean that steel makes a good leader.
Last week, I was invited to speak at an international leadership conference in London. As I considered what to say, I realized how often leadership is presented as a toolkit—team-building frameworks, efficiency metrics, time-management hacks. Useful, yes, but rarely the heart of the matter.
What most conversations skip is the simplest, hardest question: How do you make people actually want to follow you?
Mission helps, but it isn’t enough: Managing a nonprofit may seem easier than managing a commercial business because staff usually arrive with a built-in sense of purpose. They want to contribute to the public good. A leader’s job is not to ignite that flame but to keep it burning brightly, ensuring every team member understands the mission well enough to explain it to their family, their friends, and themselves on difficult days.
Founding a nonprofit and growing it by leaps rather than inches is just as challenging as starting a for-profit business. When I started Impression Five Science Museum in Michigan, and later while serving as president of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the obstacles were the same: raising visibility, attracting funding, and navigating a thicket of competition and regulations. Older organizations sometimes feared we would siphon their support when we decided to move and expand. Government rules shifted like sand, forcing us to develop a riverfront walkway that added millions to the cost.
To survive, founders need passion deep enough to outlast rejection and skepticism. They must communicate clearly, not just with wealthy donors but with people from every background, and stay open to feedback that reshapes their ideas.
Leadership sets the tone with immediate results: When I first went to city hall in Michigan seeking support for my fledgling museum, the mayor’s executive assistant dismissed me with a curt instruction to “get in a five-year line.” Her posture, her tone, even the set of her face said, Don’t bother.
A year later, with a new administration, the same woman greeted me with a warm smile and asked how she could help. The transformation was stunning. The previous mayor was budget-driven and allergic to new ideas; the new mayor had a can-do mindset and believed in listening to constituents’ ideas to improve the community. His energy had changed the entire staff’s attitude.
That lesson stayed with me: the person at the top creates the emotional climate for everyone else.
The best leaders don’t stand above, they stand with: After 25 years of running museums, I left to start a national educational products catalog. That’s where I learned that leadership has little to do with hierarchy and everything to do with the daily emotional reality of the workplace.
A president may sit at the “head” of an organization, but the real movement comes from the arms, legs, and hands. A good leader keeps the whole system healthy.
For me, that meant helping every person—from janitors to call-center staff—understand why their work mattered. We weren’t shipping toys; we were helping children learn and grow. In December, warehouse staff joked that they were “Santa’s helpers,” and they meant it. Call-center employees took pride in matching products to children’s learning styles. Having a purpose made the work feel meaningful.
Everyone has ideas: Suggestions were welcomed from every corner of the building. Receptionists and warehouse workers are often underemployed but full of insight. When someone brought me an idea, I often asked them to explore it further and report back. More than once, a temporary employee became permanent because they showed initiative and creativity. An assistant bookkeeper asked to organize a safety committee did a fantastic job, perhaps better than asking a manager. It gave her a chance to shine.
We also recognized contributions through PRIDE (People Rising In Doing Excellence) awards. Recipients received a stuffed pride animal on their desk for a week. Colleagues would stop by, curious to hear the story behind it. Anyone could nominate someone else—for helping move boxes, sharing lunch, supporting a colleague who was overwhelmed, or pitching in during a tight deadline. We announced the nominations at executive meetings, with applause, ensuring the quiet acts of kindness and effort were recognized.
Leadership at its core, is about worth: Last year, I visited Santa Fe and met with one of the first people I ever hired—an educator from my Michigan museum fifty years ago. She now owns and operates two art galleries, including one in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Over lunch, she told me a story I had long forgotten. Early in her career, she hesitantly came to my office with an idea for a new program. She expected to be dismissed. Instead, she said, I encouraged her to develop it and promised to help her find the funds to make it happen.
“That moment changed my life,” she told me. It gave her the courage to pursue her dreams when she moved to New Mexico.
When people feel their work contributes to society, life becomes more meaningful. When they feel respected, heard, and included, they bring their full selves to the task. Leadership is not about the leader’s ego or vision. It’s about creating an environment where others feel valued and purposeful.
Please share your leadership experiences, both good and bad. Both are enlightening and lead to personal growth. Share at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/blog/204184/leadership-is-not-about-you
Art is always for sale. AMERICAN BEAUTY’s price was reduced for the holiday season. Price includes shipping in continental U.S. Painting is a 40″ by 24 ” acrylic painting. Purchased online at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/1650119/american-beauty#/
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