Leadership is not black and white.
It is dynamic, nuanced, and full of colour.
We all carry a unique palette – a blend of strengths, experiences, and expressions that shape how we lead, communicate, and create results.
Yet too many leaders use only a fraction of their potential. They get stuck in a "default colour" – or tone down their true colours for fear of standing out or not fitting in.
It’s time to unlock the full palette.
In this post, I’ll introduce you to a new way of seeing leadership – The Leadership Palette – that helps you lead with more courage, humanity, and impact.
🎨 What is the Leadership Palette?
The Leadership Palette is my way of describing the unique spectrum of colours each leader carries within.
It’s not about putting people in boxes – it’s about offering tools to paint your own leadership style: with colour, courage, and authenticity..
Your palette is a combination of:
- Your natural strengths and qualities
- The tools and methods you’ve developed
- Your knowledge, experience, and adaptability
- And – most importantly – your willingness to use those colours consciously and courageously
I Ledarpaletten finns färger som representerar olika kvaliteter:
- Vision and direction (yellow/orange)
- Empathy and coaching (red)
- Movement and solution focus (green)
- Stability and calm in change (blue)
- Courage, curiosity, and inspiration (pink)
But you are not a fixed colour.
You carry many colours – and you can choose, amplify, combine, and evolve them depending on the situation and need.
Each person have a unique leadership palette: a dynamic combination of colours, tools, experience and skills.
Leadership isn’t static – it evolves, deepens, and grows more nuanced over time.
The focus is on self-leadership, courage, empathy, and visionary responsibility – not just "understanding" leadership, but actively shaping it..
✨ The Foundations Behind the Leadership Palette – from NLP to Colourful Leadership
I’m a certified NLP coach (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), and many of its core principles are woven into the philosophy of the Leadership Palette. These are a few of them:
- The map is not the territory – we each interpret the world through our own internal maps.
- You already have all the resources you need – in the right context, with the right tools, you can access and strengthen your abilities.
- The meaning of your communication is the response you get – leadership isn’t just about what you say, but how it lands.
- There are no failures – only feedback – every experience is a chance to learn and grow.
- There is a positive intention behind every behaviour – with the right perspective, even difficult behaviours can be understood and changed.
- Mind, body, and emotion are all connected – your leadership is shaped by all parts of you, and can grow on every level.
The Leadership Palette puts these principles into practice – a living, vibrant, and human approach to growing as a leader.
✨ Why the Leadership Palette Makes a Difference
When you begin using your leadership palette intentionally, something shifts:
- You lead with more clarity and authenticity.
- You can adapt to your team’s needs without losing your core.
- You lead with both heart and head – with empathy, courage, and direction.
- You create a space where others also dare to show their colours – building stronger, more vibrant teams.
In a complex world where simple answers no longer work – it’s only by painting with your full palette that real change becomes possible.
🎨 Start from Your Strengths and Become More Colourful
When you begin using your leadership palette intentionally, something shifts.
You lead with more clarity. More softness. More edge. More humanity. And you create a space where others feel safe to show their colours too.
But how does the Leadership Palette differ from personality tests like DISC – and why does it matter?
In the next post, I’ll explore the differences and show you how to use your full palette in everyday leadership.