There’s a leadership gap.

Not the kind people usually talk about, like a shortage of qualified candidates or a pipeline problem.

This one runs deeper.

It’s showing up in schools.
It’s showing up in businesses.
It’s showing up in communities that feel disconnected, burnt out, or stuck.

And if I’m being honest…I don’t think we’re talking about it enough.

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The Gap Isn’t About Talent—It’s About Preparation

When I sat down for Episode 249 of The Found Podcast with guest Melissa Reade of Leader Valley, one thing became immediately clear:

We are not lacking smart, capable people.

We’re lacking people who have been taught how to lead.

Not just manage.
Not just perform.
Not just check the boxes.

But lead:

• themselves
• their relationships
• their teams
• their communities

And here’s the kicker…

We’re waiting way too long to start teaching that.

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Why We Wait Until Adulthood (And Why That’s a Problem)

Most leadership development happens after someone is already in a role.

After they’ve been promoted.
After they’ve been handed responsibility.
After they’re expected to “figure it out.”

But what if leadership wasn’t reactive?

What if it was foundational?

That’s exactly what Leader Valley is doing: starting with students as young as elementary school and building:

• self-awareness
• responsibility
• communication skills
• confidence

Not as an add-on, but as a core part of who they become.

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The Ripple Effect No One Talks About

Here’s what fascinated me most about this conversation:

Leader Valley isn’t just impacting students.

It’s impacting:

• teachers
• administrators
• business leaders
• entire communities

Because leadership doesn’t live in isolation.

It multiplies.

And when you create a shared language and expectation around leadership, you don’t just develop individuals: you shift cultures. And Leader Valley is shifting culture for the 12,000 students in the schools they support, all the staff, teachers, administration, parents, family members, and community members they serve.

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“All Kids Are Our Kids” (And Why That Matters More Than Ever)

Melissa shared this phrase, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it:

“All kids are our kids.”

That’s the mindset behind everything they do.

Not competition.
Not scarcity.
Not “my organization vs. yours.”

But shared ownership.

And honestly? That might be the real solution to the leadership gap.

Because when we stop thinking in silos and start thinking collectively everything changes.

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Leadership Starts With You (Even When It’s Hard)

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation wasn’t about programs or strategy.

It was personal.

Melissa shared how her own leadership work, years of building mindset, resilience, and self-awareness, prepared her to walk through a cancer diagnosis.

Not perfectly.
Not easily.
But intentionally.

And it reminded me:

Leadership isn’t just something we use at work.

It’s something we rely on when life gets hard.

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So…How Do We Fix the Gap?

Not with one program.
Not with one workshop.
Not with one “perfect” leader.

We fix it by:

• starting earlier
• investing in people consistently
• prioritizing human skills alongside technical ones
• building communities that support growth

And maybe most importantly…

By choosing to lead where we are, with what we have.

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Final Thought

The leadership gap isn’t going to fix itself.

But conversations like this?
They’re a start.

If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to listen to the full conversation with Melissa and think about what this could look like in your own community.

🎧 Tune in now to The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, now streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.