The ROOTS & EDGE Framework
A dual-sided approach to growth — for leaders, teams, and the humans behind both.
Introduction
The ROOTS & EDGE Framework was born from real leadership — from the tension of leading with compassion in a demanding field during an even more challenging time.
It’s a model built from lived experience: the balance between grounding and growth, empathy and execution, kindness and accountability.
It’s both a personal practice and a team philosophy.
Because the best leaders don’t just lead others — they grow themselves.
ROOTS — The Grounded Side of Growth
The ROOTS are what keep us connected to who we are, even when everything around us is changing.
They represent self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead with humanity.
Within a team, the ROOTS phase focuses on building trust, emotional safety, and shared purpose.
It’s about taking the time to listen, reflect, and nurture the relationships and rituals that make people feel valued.
When leaders lead from their ROOTS, they:
Create psychologically safe environments
Encourage open dialogue and reflection
Prioritize compassion without losing accountability
Model steadiness through uncertainty
Strong roots create steady leaders — and steady leaders build strong teams.
EDGE — The Courageous Side of Growth
The EDGE is where progress happens.
It’s the push toward innovation, accountability, and action — the courage to challenge, to change, and to grow.
Within a team, the EDGE side focuses on clarity, structure, and empowerment.
It’s about helping people stretch their skills, own their decisions, and rise to their potential — all while knowing they’re supported.
When leaders lead from their EDGE, they:
Set clear expectations and boundaries
Hold themselves and others accountable
Encourage creativity and courageous decision-making
Celebrate learning as much as outcomes
The edge is where growth begins — but your roots keep you steady.
Why Both Matter — and How It Came to Be
This framework came to life during some of the most challenging seasons of my career — times when I was leading a hospice team through constant change, emotional intensity, and professional fatigue.
I realized that my most meaningful growth didn’t come from the easy seasons.
It came from standing in the tension between caring deeply and leading firmly, being vulnerable and staying strong, holding space and moving forward.
The more I reflected, the clearer it became:
Leadership isn’t one-sided.
It’s not about being all soft or all strong — it’s about knowing when to lean into each.
That’s the essence of the ROOTS & EDGE Framework:
A living model for leading with compassion and courage — for yourself, and for the people who trust you to lead them.
In Practice: A Continuous Cycle
In my own leadership, I move constantly between the two sides — ROOTS and EDGE — depending on what the moment calls for.
When things feel unstable, I go back to my ROOTS: reflection, empathy, presence.
When things feel stagnant, I move to the EDGE: clarity, accountability, action.
And I teach my teams to do the same — to know when to pause, when to push, and how to find growth in both.
Leading with kindness isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom — the kind that knows when to ground and when to grow
The Dual Impact
For individuals: It’s a roadmap for personal growth — a reminder to tend to yourself while you strive to improve.
For teams: It’s a leadership practice — a way to cultivate a culture of compassion, clarity, and continuous development.
Together, the ROOTS & EDGE framework brings balance back to leadership.
Because the best leaders don’t just climb — they grow.
Strong roots. Bold edges. Real leadership