Why Leaders Need Space to Be Human Too

I cried in my divisional management meeting this week. And no - it wasn't because of work. It wasn't because something was wrong, and not because I was struggling with my role. It happened during a simple reflection exercise. A moment that asked us to pause and look inward and think about something we were grateful for this year and when I did, everything I had been carrying finally surfaced.

It caught me off guard. Life has been heavy and sometimes the moment you stop moving, the emotion you have been holding onto shows up without warning. But what stood out most was how safe I felt in that room. No judgment. No awkwardness. Just people who let me be human for a moment.

We spend eight hours a day with the people we work beside. Eight hours of our life every weekday. That is a lot of time. And if we are giving that much of ourselves, we should be surrounded by good ones. The kind of people who make space for real moments, who support without questions, who understand that everyone has a life outside of work.

That moment made me reflect on the kind of leader I want to be. I want to create that same sense of safety for others. I want the people around me to feel like they can be real, honest and human without fear or discomfort. Leadership is not about having it all together at every moment. It is about how we show up when life feels heavy. It is about the tone we set and the compassion we bring into every room we walk into.

Crying in that meeting was a reminder for myself. A reminder that we are all carrying something. A reminder that slowing down can bring up feelings we did not expect. And a reminder that the right people make all the difference.

So here’s to the good ones. The colleagues who support quietly, who listen without judgment, and who make work feel safe. And here’s to showing up as humans first and leaders second.

If you had a moment this year where life spilled into the workday, you are not alone. You are doing your best, and your best matters.

Let’s keep building workplaces where people are allowed to be just that...people.