Have you ever had a leader who said all the right things—but you didn’t feel them? They meant well, but deep down, you wondered… Do you truly see me? Do you understand what fills my cup?

That gap—between words and presence—is what separates transactional leadership from authentic, felt leadership.

In Zen Buddhism, the Ensō (円相) is a hand-drawn circle—imperfect, fluid, and never complete. It symbolizes growth, presence, and continuous learning.

The deeper I explored Japanese philosophy, the more I saw a pattern: words tied to leadership, resilience, and transformation all shared one kanji—心 (Kokoro, heart-mind).

My Jiichan (grandfather) embodied this. While I grew up in Canada, he remained deeply rooted in Japan, shaping me in ways I only later understood.