Good Leadership vs. Bad Leadership: Lessons From the Mountains
Recently, my wife and I visited two incredible cities in the same week: Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado. On the surface, these cities couldn’t be more different.
Phoenix sprawls across the desert, defined by its scorching heat, cacti-lined terrain, and fiery sunsets. It’s mostly flat until jagged mountains suddenly rise from the earth. Rocky, raw, and exposed. The air is dry, the colors are burnt orange and dusty red, and the landscape feels harsh and sun-scorched.
Denver, in contrast, sits a mile high with cool, pine-scented air and lush greenery. Instead of isolated outcrops, its mountains, the Rockies, roll endlessly, forested and snowcapped well into spring. Hiking them means breathing in fresh alpine air, walking beneath tree canopies, and feeling both challenged and refreshed.
These cities reflect two completely different experiences—but they have something in common: mountains.
Technically, both have them. By definition, a mountain is “a large natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level.” But the experience of those mountains couldn’t be more different.
Phoenix’s mountains feel obstructive and demanding. Eye-catching, but unrelenting. Hiking them is a dry, scorching climb. You’re out in the open, pushing forward with little shade or reprieve.
The desolate mountains of Phoenix with their browns and lack of plants.
Denver’s mountains feel alive. They’re grand, welcoming, and nurturing. The climb is still difficult, but it’s surrounded by beauty, life, and encouragement at every turn.
Mountains of Colorado with their snow peaks and green plants.
Leadership Is Like That, Too
Leadership also has a clear definition: the act of guiding or directing a group to achieve a goal. But just like the mountains, the lived experience can be radically different depending on how it’s done and who is doing it.
Some leaders hold the title and the authority, but working for them feels like hiking a Phoenix mountain: draining, isolating, and unforgiving. Others with the same title create something entirely different an environment that challenges you and nurtures your growth. One feels like survival; the other feels like transformation.
So, what makes the difference?
It comes down to two beliefs:
What a leader believes their job is.
What they believe success looks like.
What Bad Leaders Believe
Bad leaders think leadership is about them. Their job, in their eyes, is to be the smartest in the room, control outcomes, take the credit, and assign the blame. They often manage up more than they guide those around them.
Their version of success is about personal status:
How can I keep expanding?
How much power do I have?
What can I achieve with these resources under my control?
Who is noticing me?
Under this kind of leadership, people don’t thrive, they just endure. And eventually, they start to resemble the environment: prickly, self-protective, and burnt out (think cactus of the Phoenix mountain ranges).
What Good Leaders Believe
Great leaders see their job differently. They believe leadership is a responsibility to serve others. Accomplished by casting vision, removing obstacles, developing people, and celebrating team success.
They define success by collective growth:
Is the team stronger because of my leadership?
Are individuals more confident, capable, and courageous?
Are we achieving more together than we ever could alone?
Am I developing future leaders?
Following a leader like this feels like a hike through the Rockies. It’s still tough, but it’s also an energizing, supported, and deeply rewarding trek up.
The GENUINE Leadership Model
If you want to be a leader people want to follow not just have to follow you need a plan.
After years of maturing as a leader and studying what makes leaders impactful, I’ve found that the most transformational ones consistently practice seven core principles. Together, they form what I call the GENUINE Leadership Model:
Generosity – They give their time, energy, and encouragement freely—without keeping score.
Engagement – They’re present. They listen. They notice. They care. They are distraction free.
Niceness – They adapt to how others define kindness to encourage, reward, and support others where they need it most and in the ways they want it most.
Unafraid – They face hard conversations, admit mistakes, say no when needed, but also take meaningful risks.
Integrity – They do what they say. Their values guide their actions. They show up consistently. Even when it costs them.
Non-Judgmental – They create psychological safety by leading with curiosity instead of assumptions, facts instead of bias. They let facts dictate reality not emotions.
Empathy – They lead with heart, seeing people not as tools or obstacles, but as human beings with dreams, fears, and potential. They work hard to unlock the potential in others not just allowing them to remain trapped by their perceptions and feelings.
These aren’t just traits they’re daily mindsets with practical actions. They will transform the atmosphere of any team. These are data proven differentiators that lead to more engagement, productivity, and measurable results.
If you’d like to dive deeper into how each of these looks in action, you can get the GENEROUS leadership traits here.
My wife and I enjoying the view of the top of the Gem Lake Trail in Coloroado.
Final Thought
Mountains may all qualify by definition—but it’s the experience of climbing them that makes them memorable. The same goes for leadership.
You can hold the title and create an environment where people barely survive. Or you can lead in a way that makes the climb worthwhile for everyone on the journey.
The kind of leader you choose to be will define the legacy you leave behind.
Choose wisely.