Lead the Way You Want to Be Led.

November 23, 2025

Reflect

Before he became one of the most recognizable figures in the world, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a teenager navigating uncertainty. His family moved often and money was tight. At 14 he was arrested, and at home, strength was expressed through toughness rather than tenderness.

His father, Rocky Johnson, was a groundbreaking wrestler. He was admired and disciplined, but he came from a generation where emotions stayed quiet. Love was something you demonstrated through effort rather than words. The Rock has spoken about how much he respected his father while also acknowledging that he did not grow up with the steady encouragement or emotional safety he later realized he needed.

As his own career began to rise, he made a conscious decision. He would not simply repeat the leadership he experienced. He would lead in a way that reflected what he once needed but did not always receive.

On film sets, he learned people’s names and made time for the crew. He created a sense of belonging wherever he worked. He spoke openly about struggle and mental health. He chose presence and appreciation as daily practices. His leadership grew not from volume but from care.

What makes his journey meaningful is not the fame that followed. It is the decision at the center of it. He chose to become the kind of leader he wished he had seen growing up.

This week invites the same reflection. It is a moment to notice the leadership you inherited, consider what you want to carry forward, and choose the example you want to model for others.

Implement

Think back to a moment in your life or career when you needed a certain kind of leadership. It may have been someone who listened without rushing. It may have been encouragement when you doubted yourself. It may have been clarity, calm, or honesty. It may have been someone who simply believed in you.

Take a few minutes this week to write down one leadership quality you once needed and did not always receive. Let whatever comes up be enough.

Once you name it, look for one small opportunity this week to offer that same quality to someone else. It does not need to be big. It only needs to be intentional.

Leadership grows most in the moments that mirror what we once needed ourselves.

Strengthen

 Watch: If you want to go deeper this week, this short video from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson offers a meaningful picture of what it looks like to lead from the qualities you once needed.

In it, he shares how his high school football coach, Jody Cwik, changed the direction of his life with one simple choice. He saw potential where others saw trouble. He offered steadiness instead of judgment. That moment shaped how The Rock now leads and how he shows up for the people around him.

If you do not watch, take this with you. Leadership becomes memorable when someone feels seen. The qualities you wished for earlier in your life often become the most powerful ones to offer now.

Notice one place this week where you can create that kind of experience for someone. A moment of presence or encouragement may be more meaningful than you realize.

Elevate

When you think about the leader you once needed, you are also uncovering the leader you are becoming. That clarity is powerful. It helps you lead with intention instead of habit and connection instead of routine.

Carry that awareness with you. Let it shape how you influence, how you support others, and how you make decisions. The leadership you needed then can become the leadership that strengthens the people around you now.

Momentum Insight

Try creating a Leadership Prototype this week. Not a plan or a new habit, but a small experiment that lets you practice the quality you named earlier.

Choose one quality and ask yourself: “If I showed more of this tomorrow, what would it look like?”

Use the day as a brief test. Notice what feels natural, what feels new, and what shifts in the people around you. Even a small experiment can offer insight into the leader you are becoming.

If you want support in shaping your prototype, you can ask your AI tool: Help me design a simple test of this leadership quality for tomorrow.

A small test can open the door to a new way of leading.

Next week: Momentum in Motion. Discover how small actions, aligned in the same direction, compound into real movement.

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