Trees Beneath My Feet: Effective Storytelling Strategies for Emerging Leadership Development

You must let the path lead you to where you are meant to be. Be guided by love along the journey.

I wrote a new screenplay called Trees Beneath My Feet. This story explores the grief journey of a young woman expected to maintain composure at all times. With a controlling father and recluse of a mother, she embarks on an emotional rollercoaster to avenge her baby brother's death. With a mix of drama and thriller, this short film has been a work in progress for the importance of creating authentic vulnerability.

…And as I stared at the blank page, something shifted. I didn't know what or how or why to write. And then I remembered key words: authenticity and vulnerability.

Leadership Needs Vulnerability

Writing a screenplay isn't just about characters and plotlines. It's about opening a door within yourself. Every scene I crafted, every piece of dialogue, every choice a character made—it was a reflection of me. Of my fears, my hopes, my questions. And in the process, I realized: this was leadership development in its rawest form.

True leadership doesn't come from perfection. It doesn't rise from always knowing the next move. It emerges when we are willing to stand in uncertainty and create anyway. Screenwriting forced me to do exactly that. To step into stories I didn’t fully understand yet, to develop characters who were flawed, complex, and deeply human. Just like me.

What surprised me most was how vulnerable I had to become. Vulnerability wasn't a weakness here—it was the engine. The more I let myself feel, the more authentic my characters became. And the more I acknowledged my own inner struggles, the clearer I saw the type of leader I wanted to be: empathetic, reflective, and bold enough to show up as I am.

In that way, writing became a mirror. The page didn’t lie. It held up a reflection and asked: Are you paying attention to who you’re becoming?

So, if you’re looking to grow as a leader—not just in title, but in presence, in depth, in impact—start by writing your story. Not the polished version. The real one. The messy, brave, human one. Because leadership starts within, and the courage to explore your inner world might be the most powerful script you’ll ever write.

Sleeping puppies represent the innocence of our inner self.

When I first sat down to write a screenplay, I thought I was just trying to tell a story. I had characters in mind, a rough idea of the arc, and some cinematic scenes I couldn’t wait to get onto the page. But as the process unfolded, something unexpected happened: I began to confront parts of myself I hadn’t intended to explore.

Writing a screenplay is like stepping into a room with a hundred mirrors. You think you're building fiction, but what you're actually doing is uncovering truth—about your values, your fears, your hidden motivations. And as I gave life to my characters, their journeys began to mirror my own. Each time I wrote a conflict, I was pulling from somewhere deep. Each time I shaped a moment of transformation, I felt a nudge to reflect on how I had—or hadn’t—changed in my own life.

That’s when it clicked: I wasn’t just writing a screenplay. I was engaging in leadership development, in its most intimate, unfiltered form.

The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership

Vulnerability is often misunderstood in leadership. We’re taught that leaders must be composed, confident, always in control. But what if that model is outdated? What if leadership isn’t about having all the answers—but about having the courage to say, “I’m figuring it out too”?

Through writing, I found that the most compelling characters are the ones who are cracked open by their circumstances. We lean in not because they are perfect, but because they are honest. Their struggles make them real. And that’s exactly what vulnerability offers us in leadership—realness. Authenticity. Connection.

It’s vulnerable to admit you’re uncertain. It’s vulnerable to ask for help. It’s vulnerable to own up to mistakes or share parts of your story you’re not proud of. But when leaders do this, they give everyone around them permission to show up more fully too. That’s not weakness. That’s powerful.

Writing as Inner Leadership Work: Effective Storytelling Strategies in Action

Writing a screenplay forced me to sit with questions that no leadership seminar had ever asked me:

• What do I believe about redemption?

• Where does power come from, and how should it be used?

• What does it mean to be seen, truly seen, by others?

The creative process stripped away my professional armor. It asked me to be curious instead of correct. It invited me to lead, not by directing, but by listening—to the characters, and ultimately, to myself.

And that’s where the growth really happened.

As I peeled back the layers of my characters, I found clarity in my own story. I began to see the moments in my life when I led from fear, from ego, from a desire to be right. I also recognized the times I led from compassion, from purpose, from a deep desire to uplift others.

The blank page became a playground for leadership practice. It was safe to explore. Safe to fail. And from that space, I started to reimagine the kind of leader I wanted to become—one who creates space for others to bring their full selves, just as I was learning to bring mine.

Check in on your listening versus speaking ratio. You should be listening more than speaking.

The Call to Emerging Leadership Development

If you’re on a journey of becoming a better leader—whether you’re managing a team, leading a community, or simply leading your own life—I invite you to write. Not because you have a script to sell, but because you have a story to tell. And that story will teach you more about your values, your leadership style, and your capacity for empathy than any manual ever could. When you start embracing effective leadership strategies like authenticity and vulnerability, your life will change when you begin serving others.

Leadership is no longer about projecting perfection. It's about cultivating presence. Vulnerability isn’t a liability in this new model—it’s the foundation. It’s how we connect. It’s how we inspire. And, ultimately, it’s how we lead with heart.

So write. Be brave on the page. Let the characters teach you. Let the story stretch you. And let yourself be seen—not just by others, but by yourself. Just like a leader, listen first, speak last, and stay open-minded.

Because when we write with honesty, we lead with integrity. And in a world aching for authenticity, vulnerability, and deep connection, that kind of leadership matters more than ever.

Begin listening today to your inner self, discover your own authenticity, and let connections develop. Write down one thing you can do today to start listening to your inner leader.