Be the Ladder

Step 01

Leiter Means Leader and Ladder

In German, the word Leiter means leader, and it also means ladder. Same word. A ladder exists for one reason: to help someone reach a place they could not get to on their own. It doesn't brag about how high it goes. It simply holds steady while someone else climbs.

That's what great leaders do. They create stability, because nobody wants to climb a shaky ladder, and nobody wants to follow a shaky leader. They support every step on the way up. And they remember their job is to be the pathway. The destination belongs to the person climbing.

Step 02

Push Hard and Develop People

Watch The Devil Wears Prada today and it plays like a leadership case study. On one side you see high standards, clear expectations, and a drive for excellence. On the other side you see fear, pressure, and people working hard just to avoid failing.

Strong leaders challenge people. Great leaders also develop them. When people grow because they feel inspired, that is leadership. When they grow because they feel scared, something else is going on, and most workplaces hold a little of both. So here is my question for you: would you rather work for a leader who pushes you hard, or one who protects your balance?

Step 03

Ask Someone to Hold the Ladder

My guest Lisa Cork had two strong women mentors early in her career, introduced through a women's agriculture mentoring program. She was an introvert and didn't know it yet, so she barely reached out. Between her 20s and her late 50s, she never once asked for help.

Then, over one spring break, she made the call. She was nervous. The answer came right away: yes, of course. Lisa told me she had been afraid for 40 years to make that call, and it paid off in ways she never expected. Sometimes the ladder is already standing there, and all you have to do is ask.

Step 04

Make Curiosity Feel Safe

Dr. Kate Raynes-Goldie works with LEGO Serious Play, a method two business professors developed with the LEGO Group in the 1990s. It uses bricks for metaphor and story, so teams can talk about strategy and connection in a fresh way. In 2010 the method was opened up for anyone to use and adapt.

Kate built her own version, Super Connect, for human connection, psychological safety, and curious conversations. She now teaches it to people around the world. That is ladder work: building the conditions where people feel safe enough to ask, explore, and grow. Hear our full conversation in How to Build Through Curiosity.

Step 05

You See the Climb Looking Back

Lisa graduated from Cal Poly's agribusiness program in 1988. She had no idea she would move to New Zealand in 1993, or that she would become CEO of her own strategy company.

She did hold one dream: to come back one day and teach in the department that changed her life. Today she does, and she calls it a full circle moment. You rarely know where life is taking you while you're living it. Looking back, you can see every rung, and every person who held the ladder.