February 2026

Joyful Leadership didn’t start as a business idea. 

It started as something I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Years ago, I was working as a school leader alongside other school leaders, and I saw the difference leadership can make. I watched leaders lift teams up, build trust, and create environments where people felt safe, supported, and capable. I also saw how hard leadership can be, especially when you are carrying responsibility for people, culture, and outcomes all at once.

At the same time, I was completing my MBA. I chose it because I genuinely wanted to be a good leader. I wanted to learn, grow, and lead well. Somewhere along the way, I completely fell in love with research. I loved asking questions, digging deeper, and making sense of what was really happening beneath the surface.

Then one day, someone sent me an article describing how people are looking for more joy in the workplace and wrote just one line in the email: “It looks like this is your thing.” I still remember reading it and thinking, “Yes… I think it is.”

That little message sent me on a search. I started looking for research on joyful leadership, expecting to find frameworks, models, and a whole body of work. But it wasn’t there. Not in a way that felt, practical, or reflective of real life leadership.

So I decided to explore it properly.

That curiosity became my PhD. I set out to understand what joy in leadership actually means, how it shows up, and why it matters, especially in complex environments where leaders are making tough decisions every day.

And now, here we are.

The Joyful Leadership Academy exists because joyful leadership is real, it is needed, and it is possible. It is not about being happy all the time. It is about showing up with courage, care, and clarity, and creating workplaces and communities where people can genuinely thrive.

Thank you for being here, and for being part of this journey with me.