ISSUE 66

17 DECEMBER 2025 | READ ONLINE​

Hi Reader,

If leadership feels heavier than it used to, it’s probably not because you’ve become less capable. More often, it’s because you’re carrying too much. Whether that's too many expectations, too many frameworks, too many competing narratives about what good leadership should look like, all while navigating situations that are far more human, ambiguous, and emotionally charged than any model ever accounts for.

A useful question sits underneath much of what I see in leadership work:

When leadership feels complicated, what do you actually come back to?

That question sits at the heart of Bill Treasurer’s book, Leadership Two Words at a Time. Not as a gimmick, and not as a clever linguistic trick, but as a serious proposition: leadership breaks down not because leaders don’t care (or don’t know enough), but because under pressure, they forget what matters most.

Two words work precisely because they are memorable, portable, and usable when there is no time, space, or emotional bandwidth for anything more elaborate.

In my coaching work with senior leaders, this shows up constantly. I work with people who are thoughtful, experienced, and deeply committed to doing the right thing, yet who hesitate at critical moments.

You might be wondering, Why?

For many of them, there's just too much going on. Too many variables. Too many voices. Too many risks to weigh in real time. When pressure rises, what they really need are anchors. Something they trust enough to act on without overthinking.

This is where the power of two words becomes real.

Know yourself.

Show courage.

Build trust.

These aren’t slogans to put on a wall or principles to debate intellectually. They are decisions. They ask something of you in the moment. Will you notice your own reaction before responding? Will you speak when it would be easier to stay quiet? Will you choose consistency over convenience, especially when no one is watching?

Treasurer is clear about this: leadership is revealed not in polished presentations or well-rehearsed strategies, but in moments of discomfort. The awkward pause in a meeting, the challenge that isn’t fully formed, the conversation you’d rather move past quickly. Those moments are inconvenient, often inefficient, and emotionally taxing. They are also where leadership is quietly shaped.

What I see, again and again, is that leaders who struggle most are not lacking skill or intent. They are lacking a point of return. Without something simple and trusted to come back to, leadership becomes reactive, fragmented, and heavy. With it, decisions become steadier, even when they’re hard.

So, as you move through this week, consider this:

If everything else fell away, what are the two words you would commit to leading by right now?

They don't have to be words that sound impressive or aspirational, but the ones you are willing to stand behind when leadership asks something of you.

Because leadership, at its best, isn’t loud or complicated. And it’s practiced, quietly, two words at a time.

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Megan

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P.S. A quick note before you go . I’m curious what serves you best here. Do you prefer these longer, essay-style reflections, or would you like more practical “tips and tools”? You can reply to this email (yes, it's as easy as clicking 'reply' and I'll receive your email) or message me on LinkedIn.

Quick Links

• Find My Book: Clarity in Chaos. Lead with Purpose in Disruptive Times.​
• Subscribe to my podcast with Andreza Araujo, the Headline Podcast.
• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

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