Have you ever felt like you are creating calm in the storm for others around you—while secretly feeling like you’re drowning inside? As leaders, we’re conditioned to be steady, composed, and always “on.” But the truth is, many of us carry the weight of impossible expectations, private doubts, and constant pressure.

As an Executive Coach, I want you to know leadership doesn’t just require us to create psychological safety for our teams—it requires us to create it within ourselves first.

My daughters and I recently volunteered as a Peer Mentor Family for Camp Kerry, a grief camp for young families who have experienced the loss of someone close in their immediate family, like we have with my daughter’s Dad and my Husband, Jeff. It was a weekend filled with raw emotion, courage, and connection.

At Camp Kerry, families are navigating tremendous pain—and yet what struck me most wasn’t the loss itself, but the space that was created for healing. A space where people felt safe to cry, to laugh, to share their stories without fear of judgment or shame.

It reminded me of something profound: whether in a grief camp, a family, or a corporate boardroom, psychological safety is what allows people to show up fully as themselves. It’s what allows healing to happen, innovation to spark, and trust to grow.