The Guiding Lights
- Lisa Askins
- Sep 29
- 2 min read
Integrity · Discernment · Dignity · Responsibility
I walk as the sun rises, and the glow creates an outline of the rough, angled lava rock. My path takes me by the ancient fisherman’s hut and past the platforms built into the rock. These are the sites that are marked.
And then there are places without signs. Dwellings that hold memory with no written explanation.
Continuity is present whether we recognize it or not. Some legacies are labeled and taught. Others live in silence, waiting to be noticed.
Leadership carries the same continuity. We inherit ways of being — some named and celebrated, others invisible but still shaping us.
That’s why guiding lights matter. They steady us, whether or not signs are posted.
The Guiding Lights
Integrity — aligning values with action.
Discernment — choosing with care rather than urgency.
Dignity — honoring the worth of every person.
Responsibility — holding relationships, power, and systems with care.
These are not sign posts. They are practices, lived or forgotten, noticed or unseen. But they are always present, waiting for us to recognize them, return to them, and live by them.
I’ve been writing on these themes as part of my Human-Centered Leadership series. I’m weaving them into my coaching practice. And I’m working on a guidebook that gathers these threads together.
Most of all, I’m living with these practices as I write, letting the clarity lift me forward, one steady step at a time.
May your path be well-lit, too.
Let’s talk. If you’re navigating change and want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and connection, I’d love to support your next step.
