We often think of leadership as a climb—like there’s some mountaintop to reach, a final step on the ladder where the air is thinner and the title is fancier. We imagine it as a pyramid: wide at the base, narrow at the top, with fewer people and more power the higher you go.
But that’s not how I see it.
To me, leadership has always looked like a funnel. And not just any funnel—the kind that narrows to a tight point where everything heavy, hard, or painful eventually collects. Leadership, real leadership, lives at the bottom. And that’s where I’ve always chosen to be.
Because the bottom is where the real work happens.
It’s where the impossible problems land after bouncing off everyone else’s desk. It’s where the client who can’t be reasoned with gets handed off. It’s where the late-night phone calls, the broken systems, the moments of crisis—when nobody else knows what to do—come to rest.
Leadership, to me, has never been about commanding from above. It’s about standing beneath, like a foundation. Supporting, absorbing, protecting. It’s about being the last line of defense. The calm in the chaos. The one who says, “I’ve got it,” when no one else wants it.
This version of leadership? It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t stroke the ego. You won’t find it etched on motivational posters or trending in business jargon on social media. You won’t hear much applause for it, and you definitely won’t get a standing ovation. But you will get results. And you will earn something more enduring than attention—you’ll earn trust.
Because when your team knows that no matter how bad it gets, you’ll be there—that you’ll take the hit, shoulder the load, and do the work no one sees—they’ll follow you. Not because they have to. But because they want to.
That’s the kind of leadership I believe in.
I didn’t come to this way of thinking by reading books or watching leadership seminars. I came to it by living it. I learned it in the Marine Corps, where leadership wasn’t optional. You either led by example, or you didn’t lead at all. You didn’t ask people to do things you weren’t willing to do yourself. You didn’t stand above anyone—you stood beside them. And when things went sideways, you were the one expected to hold the line. No excuses. No ego.
That philosophy stayed with me long after I left the uniform behind. In business, in nonprofit work, in life—I’ve always measured a leader not by how high they climb, but by how low they’re willing to go for the people they serve.
Because that’s what this is: service.
Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge. It’s about putting your people first—especially when it costs you something. Especially when it’s hard. Especially when nobody’s watching.
Too often, we reward the wrong things in leadership. We celebrate charisma over character, visibility over values, style over substance. But none of that lasts. When the pressure is on and the stakes are real, style won’t save you. Character will. Grit will. Integrity will.
And leadership from the bottom of the funnel? That’s where character lives. That’s where grit matters. That’s where the real work gets done.
So no, I don’t want the top of the pyramid. I don’t need the corner office or the spotlight. Give me the bottom of the funnel. Give me the mess. Give me the moments no one else wants.
Because that’s where I lead best.
And if you’re there too—quietly catching the weight of everything above you, holding it all together while making others look good—then I see you. You’re doing it right. Keep going.
That’s real leadership. Not because it’s easy. Not because it pays the most. But because it matters.
If you’re someone who leads from the bottom of the funnel—who absorbs the pressure, catches the fallout, and keeps showing up when it’s hard—I see you. That’s real leadership. Not because it’s flashy. But because it’s faithful.
Keep going. Keep serving. And know this: the people who matter most aren’t looking for someone above them. They’re looking for someone beside them.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who leads the same way. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe for more conversations like this—conversations about leadership that lasts, because it’s built on trust, not titles.
Until next time—stay principled, stay engaged, and lead from where it matters most.
Share this post