We Are All Leaders

Charlottesville

February 1, 2026

I don’t often think of myself as a leader. I think of leaders as being CEOs and such. But the following essay reminds us that we are all leaders, and because of that we have certain responsibilities.

The essay:

Whether we’re immersed in warmth and love or burdened by heartache and loss, each day starts the same. With every sunrise, we have a choice.

Exactly one month ago, we ushered in a New Year with anticipation for what the next twelve months might bring.

A turn of the page with promises of hope, perhaps more empathy and much more understanding. Yet, differences continue to overshadow our commonalities, with a stronger need for compassion, conversation and dialogue.

So what is leadership asking of us now? It’s both a rhetorical question and a statement. And it invites reflection and exploration of a world that’s not about us, but about others.

Leadership is inspiring others to believe—and enabling that belief to become reality. But at its best, it strives for more …

Leadership transforms self-interest into shared interest.

It is elevating and constructing.

Leadership is uniting.

It offers a voice to the voiceless.

Leadership listens to those who feel unheard.

It is knowing that it is not about us – but it starts with us.

And above all, leadership is grounded in Grace.

For grace is what makes us inherently human—the better self that shines a light for others. A light that can illuminate even the darkest moments.

I often reflect on the words of 19th-century minister Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

Let us all remember our shared humanity.