Leadership Starts with You

By April Jasper, OD, FAAO

When we hear the word “leadership,” many of us envision a title, a role, or a position of authority. But true leadership has very little to do with hierarchy—and everything to do with influence. And that influence begins within.

As optometrists and healthcare providers, we are leaders by default. Patients look to us for answers, our teams depend on us for clarity, and our communities expect us to show up with consistency. But before we can lead others well, we must first lead ourselves well.

In this article, I want to explore what it really means to embody leadership in our daily lives—regardless of where we sit on the organizational chart.