Framing Leadership

Leadership is evolving. In today’s business world, it includes levels and lanes – whether your experience is from navigating the block as a community leader, the busy life of a stay-at-home parent, or the corporate boardroom – leadership is about more than titles, degrees, or accolades. It’s about inspiring others, solving real problems, and overcoming challenges right where you are. Having worked with leaders across all levels – from community organizers to Fortune 500 executives – I’ve seen firsthand that leadership is often narrowly defined and based on the wrong criteria.

My lived experiences, coupled with learned opportunities that you can read from my book Do Recruit, have shown me that true leadership is not limited to those who fit the conventional mold. It’s about the whole person.

To help redefine leadership, I’ve developed a simple, practical framework focusing on four key qualities: Head, Heart, Hand, and How. These qualities are what really make leaders effective in today’s dynamic business world.

Lead with Your Head: Think Strategically

Great leaders know how to think ahead. Strategic thinking isn’t about having a degree from a top university – it’s about being able to solve problems – from common to complex, adapt to new situations, and make decisions without folding under pressure. Whether you’re navigating corporate complexities or community challenges, leading with your head means understanding the big picture and thinking critically about the best way forward.

You can encourage strategic thinking in your team by creating opportunity for them to think tank by asking “What’s the real problem we’re trying to solve?” and “How can we approach this differently?”

Lead with Your Heart: Build Trust and Connection

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions – it’s about people. It’s part of what motivates them. The best leaders know how to build relationships, foster trust, and create an environment where others feel empowered. Emotional intelligence is a key part of this, and it’s often a strength for women in leadership. Leading with heart means understanding your team’s needs and motivating them with empathy, not just authority.

Make it a habit to check in with your team on a personal level. Ask, “How are you doing?” and really listen to the answer.

Lead with Your Hands: Take Action

Ideas are great, but action is what makes things happen. Leading with your hands means getting things done – whether you’re managing a project, solving problems, or rolling up your sleeves to help your team in a time of need. It’s about showing, not just telling. Many leaders I’ve worked with, from all walks of life, demonstrate leadership through action, not just by giving orders.

Lead by example. When your team sees you take initiative, they’re more likely to follow suit. Identify key areas where your actions can make an impact.

Lead with Your How: Bounce Back from Challenges

Resilience is one of the most important traits any leader can have. Leadership isn’t just tested during good times – it’s proven when things go wrong. Being able to adapt, recover, and lead through adversity is what sets great leaders apart. Whether you’re facing workplace challenges or navigating the personal complexities of life, resilience keeps you moving forward.

Foster resilience in yourself and your team by normalizing failure as a learning opportunity. After setbacks, ask “What did we learn, and how can we improve moving forward?”

Leadership by levels and lanes

One final element of the Head, Heart, Hand, and How framework is recognizing that leadership operates across levels and lanes. Leadership doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some leaders thrive in high-level strategy roles, while others are most effective in hands-on, tactical environments. Understanding your level and lane is key to unlocking and maximizing your leadership potential.

In my experience working with leaders from the streets to the C-suite, I’ve seen the power of matching people to their strengths. Not every leader needs to switch lanes to prove their value – sometimes, staying in your lane and excelling at your level is exactly what makes you a great leader.

Leadership is no longer about fitting into a predefined mold. Whether you’re leading in a corporate office or driving change in your community, leadership is about how you think (Head), how you connect (Heart), what you do (Hand), and how you overcome challenges (How).

In Do Recruit, I encourage leaders to look at the whole person – their experiences, their skills, and their ability to lead in their unique way. When the world of work begins embracing a more holistic leadership framework, we can unlock potential in everyone, no matter their background or level.

Khalilah “KO” Olokunola, founder and CEO of ReEngineering HR, is an impact architect and advocate committed to transforming company culture for SMBs, global corporations, and Fortune 500 clients.

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