Lead Anyway: The Glow-Up Guide to Leadership That’s Real, Not Perfect

Coming March

A modern leadership book for anyone who has ever felt like the Only.

Leadership Was Never Meant to Look This Way

But Here You Are—Leading Anyway

Leadership today is messy, personal, and deeply human.
And most leadership books still don’t reflect that reality.

Lead Anyway: The Glow-Up Guide to Leadership That’s Real, Not Perfect is a leadership book for people who have felt different, out of place, or unseen in leadership spaces—the only woman, the only one asking different questions, the only one who doesn’t quite fit the mold.

This book is for leaders who care deeply, lead with values, and are done pretending that leadership has to come at the cost of their humanity.

It’s not about becoming someone new.
It’s about learning how to lead anyway—with clarity, integrity, love and alignment.

Why Lead Anyway Exists

Traditional leadership advice assumes you’re confident, certain, and unburdened.
But real leadership rarely feels that way.

Many capable leaders—especially women—are quietly asking:

  • Why does leadership feel so heavy?

  • Why does caring feel like a liability?

  • Why do I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I’m actually doing meaningful work?

  • Is there another way to lead that doesn’t require burnout or self-abandonment?

Lead Anyway was written to name the parts of leadership that often go unspoken:

  • Emotional labor

  • Burnout disguised as professionalism

  • Perfectionism as a survival strategy

  • Identity pressure and invisibility

  • Leading in systems that weren’t built for you

This book reframes leadership not as performance, but as practice—something you do with your life, not in spite of it.

What Glow-Up Leadership Really Means

Glow-up leadership is not performative leadership.

In Lead Anyway, a “glow-up” isn’t about polish, power, or pretending you have it all together.
It’s about alignment.

Glow-up leadership means:

  • Leading without abandoning yourself

  • Letting go of outdated expectations

  • Choosing sustainability over approval

  • Naming what’s hard without losing hope

  • Practicing leadership habits that work in real life

The glow-up isn’t louder leadership.
It’s clearer leadership.

What This Leadership Book Covers

Lead Anyway blends research, lived experience, and reflection to explore:

  • Leadership burnout and emotional labor

  • What it means to feel like the “Only” in leadership

  • Identity, belonging, and power at work

  • Why perfectionism quietly undermines leadership

  • Leading across generations without losing yourself

  • Sustainable leadership habits for long-term impact

  • How to lead when you’re tired, uncertain, or still becoming

This is not a 10-step formula or a productivity playbook.
It’s a framework for leading honestly—and staying intact while you do.

Who Lead Anyway Is For

This book is for:

  • Anyone who has ever felt like the “Only” in leadership spaces

  • Women in leadership, especially millennial women navigating visibility, pressure, and burnout

  • Gen Z and Gen Alpha readers interested in leadership—but wanting to do it differently

  • Early-career leaders figuring out who they are

  • Experienced leaders unlearning who they were told to be

  • Leaders across industries—not just education—including nonprofit, athletics, community leadership, and organizational work

If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong at the table—or wondered if the table itself needs to change—this book was written for you.

Research-Informed, Human-Centered

Lead Anyway is grounded in leadership research, social science, and organizational theory, woven together with lived experience and real-world leadership stories.

It bridges research and practice without losing humanity—offering insight without jargon and clarity without oversimplification.

From the GRL Initiative

Lead Anyway grew out of the same foundation as the GRL Initiative—a belief that leadership is rooted in identity, connection, and belonging.

This book extends that work by offering language, reflection, and permission to lead differently—without waiting for perfection or permission.

Book Release Timeline

Lead Anyway: The Glow-Up Guide to Leadership That’s Real, Not Perfect
📘 Expected release: March

Join the list to receive:

  • Book release updates

  • Early excerpts

  • Launch details and events

👉 If you’ve ever felt like the Only, stay connected for updates and early excerpts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lead Anyway a leadership book for women?
Yes. While the book speaks to anyone who has felt different or like the “Only” in leadership, it is written primarily for women—especially millennial women—leading in systems that weren’t built with them in mind.

Is this book research-based?
Yes. Lead Anyway integrates leadership research, social science, and organizational insights alongside lived experience and reflection.

Is Lead Anyway just for educators?
No. While the author has experience in education and athletics, this book is for leaders across industries, including nonprofit, organizational, and community leadership.

Is this book for early-career or experienced leaders?
Both. Lead Anyway supports early-career leaders finding their footing and experienced leaders redefining success, sustainability, and alignment.

When will Lead Anyway be released?
The book is expected to be released in March. Sign up to receive updates as launch approaches.