At 12 years old, my sister looked at the adults, the teachers, the church, and the “good families” around her and said, “If that’s what faith looks like, I don’t want it.” She wasn’t rejecting God. She was rejecting hypocrisy. She saw a boy who was struggling and a system that chose convenience over compassion. She felt the gap between what was preached and what was practiced—and she refused to shrink herself to fit it. That’s leadership.

What two very different health professionals taught me about leadership, ego, and the power of perspective. Real leadership starts when we go beyond first impressions.