In every career, there are moments when the way forward depends on seeing more clearly. For me, clarity has never arrived in a blaze of fireworks. It comes quietly, often in the thick of work, in the still moments between decisions, or in the aftermath of a challenge that leaves you wondering if the effort was worth it. 

Over the years, whether in the high-pressure corridors of justice and policing, in the intricate machinery of government operations, or in my current role at the helm of organizational change, I’ve learned that clarity is built, not stumbled upon.

It starts with people. Always.

Knowing People Before You Lead Them

Early in my career, I learned something that has stayed with me: titles and organizational charts don’t tell you who your team really is. I walked into roles where the expectation was to “hit the ground running,” but running without first knowing who you’re running with is a sure way to trip.

So, I made a legitimate investment in real, intentional conversations, not rushed introductions or polite handshakes. I listened to how people described their work, what they were proud of, what frustrated them, and where they saw opportunities. The more I listened, the more I uncovered strengths you’d never find in an HR file.

Over time, I spotted patterns: the quiet team member whose questions reveal a rare ability to connect dots others miss; the one who thrives when given autonomy but falters under micromanagement; the person who seems disengaged until you hand them the one project that lights them up.

There’s no substitute for genuine interest. People think leadership is shown in directing talent, but in truth, it is uncovering and creating the conditions for it to thrive. Sometimes that means moving someone into a new role, pairing them with the right collaborator, or removing a process that’s holding them back.

The Discipline of Restructuring

Clarity is never static. Organizations shift, priorities change, and sometimes you restructure not because things are broken, but because the context has changed. Restructuring can be disruptive, but I’ve come to see it as stewardship. You’re entrusted with an organization’s present and future, and must ensure both align with its purpose.

Don’t start with boxes and lines on an organizational chart. Start with the mission: What are we here to do? What do we want to be known for in five years? What’s standing in the way? Then, look at people. Résumés matter, but so do adaptability, appetite for growth, and alignment with where the organization is headed.

When restructuring, I’ve learned to balance operational efficiency with the human side of leadership. Honesty and transparency are non-negotiable. I’ve seen leaders avoid tough conversations to spare themselves discomfort, but that only leaves teams in limbo. People want to feel heard about decisions that affect them. If you explain the “why,” listen with empathy, and address concerns directly, you earn far more respect than sidestepping conflict.

Some of my proudest restructuring outcomes came from pairing unlikely collaborators. At the Edmonton Police Service, we changed how youth crime and social disorder were addressed by pairing police officers with social navigators, ensuring every possible tool was available for the best outcome. The results were remarkable: measurable reductions in disorder indicators from our most frequent users. The model proved so effective that police services across the country came to learn from it.

Evolving at Every Stage

Each stage of my career has required me to rethink how I lead. In the justice and policing sector, the stakes were immediate and tangible. Decisions had to be made quickly, often under pressure, and the measure of success was whether the right thing was done at the right time. There, clarity was about precision.

In government operations, timelines stretched, and challenges played out over months or years instead of hours. Clarity meant ensuring strategies held over time, stakeholders stayed engaged, and momentum didn’t stall when headlines faded. One lesson I carried from policing into government was humility. Credentials might open the door, but what truly matters to the people you lead is how you carry yourself and deliver on shared goals.

Now, as I lead organizational transformation, clarity hinges on perspective. It’s holding the big picture in one hand and daily realities in the other, ensuring neither slips through my fingers.

Self-Awareness as a Discipline

Self-awareness is a phrase often thrown around in leadership, but for me, it came on the wings of feedback. I request feedback from my wife, direct reports, and peers. If people truly care about you, they will give you constructive criticism to make you more effective. That requires listening carefully, implementing what you hear, and checking in over time to measure your progress.

It sounds simple, but it’s not. It requires consistency and humility, because self-awareness is useless if you ignore the mirrors people hold up for you. A lack of feedback will impede any desired progress with your friends, partner or colleagues. 

Navigating Change Without Losing People

Change is often where leaders stumble, not because they can’t design the right strategy, but because they misjudge how deeply people feel the shift. I’ve learned that the human side of change is just as critical as the operational side. That means communicating early and often, even when all the details aren’t final; listening to concerns, even familiar ones; and being honest when I can’t make guarantees.

Navigating change well also means giving people a sense of agency. They need to see where they fit into the new picture and have the tools to succeed, whether that’s targeted training, mentorship, or simply time and space to adapt. People can live with uncertainty if they trust your integrity; what they can’t live with is being left in the dark.

Emotional intelligence gives me an early read on how change is landing. In moments of heightened stress, I make it my business to communicate with precision and clarity. I watch for the signs: a hesitation, a silence, a furrowed brow, that tell me my message isn’t landing as intended. When that happens, I pivot immediately. Every conversation is a chance to bring someone along, and I don’t let those chances slip.

Creating Pathways for Others

I’ve always believed leadership comes with a responsibility to open doors. One of the projects I’m most proud of is the REET Institute, which my wife, Michelle, and I co-founded in 2021 with our friends, Kryzia and Andrel Wisdom. REET: Real Estate, Education, and Thought leadership, teaches diverse high school youth financial literacy, teamwork, and public speaking through the lens of commercial real estate.

Industries like commercial real estate can be closed circles. Our goal was to use our networks to give young people concepts and connections we didn’t have at their age. That work reflects my belief that inclusion is a leadership imperative.

From my own journey, I’ve seen how systemic barriers, especially the lack of diverse networks, hold people back. My mother saw education and credentials as the path forward for our family as immigrants who arrived in Canada with nothing. We believed education would be the answer to everything. Education is vital, but opportunity often flows through relationships. Diversifying your network ensures people are speaking your name in rooms you haven’t yet entered.

Mentorship and the Long Game

Mentorship has been a constant thread in my career. For over a decade, I’ve had the privilege of learning directly from someone whose example continues to shape how I lead. Sometimes you need another person to recognise something in you that you haven’t yet seen in yourself. That moment is powerful,  but it’s only the beginning.

From there, the responsibility shifts to you to prove, both to yourself and to the one who took that chance on you, that their belief was well placed. I’ve been on the receiving end of exceptional mentorship, and because of that, I’m intentional about paying it forward. If I can make an introduction for someone I trust, know will honour that connection and make the most of it, I don’t hesitate. It’s a simple decision.

The View from Here

The principles of inclusion don’t change: leaders must recruit and lead people from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. No culture is a monolith, and it’s dangerous to think otherwise. High-performing teams are built by recruiting the best, and the best talent isn’t concentrated in one pool or discipline.

This is where The Nod App can make a real impact. It is a platform for leaders within the community to shine and make it easier for employers to discover talent that might otherwise remain hidden. Looking back, I’ve learned that good leadership creates environments where people embrace change without fear because they are confident that their contribution matters. 

And that, I’ve found, makes all the difference.