See the Person, Support the Path

Lessons from the Wall – Part 2: Inner Mindset

The Hidden Work of Leadership

This quote was one of the first that hit me when I looked at that photo of the leadership wall:

“No one can be a great leader unless they genuinely care about the success of each person on their team.”

It sounds obvious until you realize how rare it is.

Most of us have worked for people who cared about performance but didn’t take time to understand what success looked like for us. Maybe you’ve been that leader yourself at times, stretched thin, focused on results, assuming everyone shares your definition of winning.

But outstanding leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s custom-built.

What This Looks Like in Practice

At Township Design, I’ve worked with designers, builders, vendors, and collaborators from diverse backgrounds. And I’ve learned that caring about someone’s success means understanding what they want, not just what you need from them.

Sometimes it means:

• Asking a junior designer where they want to grow, not just what’s on their plate
• Encouraging a contractor to step into a new role or responsibility
• Helping a client clarify their vision when they’re overwhelmed by decisions

It also means making room for people to define success in their terms. Not everyone wants to climb the ladder. Some want flexibility. Others want ownership. Some want to get home for dinner.

Leadership, to me, means creating space for that.

Why It Matters

When you genuinely care about someone’s success, a few things happen:

• They feel safer taking risks
• They start to trust your feedback
• They show up with more pride and purpose
• They give you more than just their labor; they give you their loyalty

And just like with landscape design, the beauty is in the details. The same is true with leadership: the deeper you look, the more potential you uncover.

Ask Yourself:

• Do I know what success looks like for each person I work with?
• Am I building a culture where individual goals are acknowledged?
• When was the last time I asked someone, “What do you want to become?”

Designing landscapes is about vision. Designing teams is about belief.
When you believe in someone’s path and help them walk it, you become more than a boss. You become the reason they grow.