Five Lessons in Lasting Leadership

Over the past decade, I’ve tracked the metrics, celebrated a bucket of Quadel firsts, and left plenty of “Katie footprints” along the way. But the milestones only tell part of the story.

The past ten years have been filled with pivots and growth both personal and professional.

I've learned 5 essentials that make all the difference in effective leadership:

💡 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞
Leadership is about listening deeply and knowing your people. Who’s the brainstormer who fuels ideas? Who’s the fixer who brings structure? Who’s the coach who lifts others? Who’s the one who pushes the envelope?

💡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
There’s a reason my vision board from January is still pinned to the wall next to me. It reminds me to recalibrate and make decisions that match my bigger why.

💡 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭
The future is shaped by how we spend time today. That means being intentional - with calendar space, client choices, and time off. Intention about the present helps me make choices that protect mission and momentum.

💡𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
I’ve learned to chart my own progress and not just the metrics in the business books, but the wins that reflect growth, resilience, and learning. I even keep a win journal! A simple reminder to pause and understand the path.

💡𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬
I’ve seen people rise when someone simply believed in them. And I’ve been that person too. Yes, the Journey song applies: 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯’.

My team surprised me with these cookies for my work anniversary and it's a reminder how 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵.