February often speaks the language of love—but at Emerging Voices Unite, this week reminded us that care in leadership shows up through responsibility, not performance.

As we move closer to Valentine’s Day and toward an important evolution where Emerging Voices Unite and Top Voices Unite will soon merge into a stronger, shared leadership ecosystem—this week invited Emerging Voices to slow down, reflect, and practice ownership in small, human ways.

This isn’t a goodbye. It’s a strengthening of the community.

Here’s how the week unfolded.

Why Responsibility—Not Blame—Strengthens Leadership in Practice

We opened the week with a story starter designed to gently shift perspective—not to shock new members, but to ground leadership in agency and care.

Story Starter: “A moment I chose responsibility over blame was…”

Emerging Voices were invited to share:

• One sentence or a full story
• A mistake owned
• A moment of growth instead of defensiveness

This framing reminded the community that responsibility doesn’t weaken leadership—it restores clarity and momentum.

Continue sharing your reflection here.

What Does Taking Responsibility Actually Look Like at Work? (A Real Example)

One reflection that grounded the conversation came from Robert Jaeger, who shared a practical leadership lesson from his accounting career.

He described delegating a $1MM posting with unclear instructions—leading to a $3MM variance. Instead of deflecting blame, he owned the misstep, clarified his process, and strengthened how he delegated moving forward.

What stood out wasn’t perfection—it was verification. Responsibility didn’t turn into micromanagement. It became better systems, clearer communication, and long-term growth.

This is leadership care in action.

This message resonated deeply within our community, setting the tone for a month of growth rooted in ownership, not blame. You can continue to share your story through this LinkedIn post.

Where Does Leadership Care Show Up Most in Practice? (Poll Results)

To continue the conversation, we asked Emerging Voices to reflect—not on ideals, but on lived experience.

Poll Question: Where do you feel leadership shows the most care in practice?

Top responses:

• ✅ Practicing before performing
• ✅ Having honest conversations live

These results reinforced something important: Care isn’t passive. It’s practiced.

Add your voice or explore the discussion here.

How Can One Small Pause Change a Leadership Outcome? (Friday Challenge)

We closed the week with a simple but powerful challenge—designed to be tried once, not perfected.

EVU Friday Challenge:

When something goes off course:

• Pause before explaining or defending
• Ask: “What part of this can I take responsibility for?”
• Then act from that place

Emerging Voices were encouraged to notice:

• What shifted in the conversation
• What options opened up
• What changed when ownership replaced defense

Growth begins the moment responsibility is claimed.

Share how the challenge showed up for you.

What Community Moments Reveal About Trust in Leadership

Community Highlight: Ed McAndrew

Not all leadership learning is serious—and that’s the point.

Ed McAndrew’s Taco Tuesday post reminded the community that humor, humanity, and checking in matter, especially when weeks start messy.

Why it mattered:

• It modeled presence without pressure
• It invited conversation instead of performance
• It reinforced that leadership culture is built in everyday moments

👉 Connect with Ed McAndrew on LinkedIn

👉 View the original Taco Tuesday post

How Do Leaders Turn Awareness Into Decisions That Actually Hold? (EVU Live Recap)

We also shared the recap reel from EVU Live Season 2, Episode 1, featuring Anna Rooney and Nikki Estes.

The conversation explored why:

• Insight alone doesn’t create change
• Leaders revert under pressure
• Follow-through—not awareness—is the real leadership gap

Key reminder: Strong leadership isn’t about knowing the right thing. It’s about deciding in ways that hold when certainty disappears.

• Rewatch the full live episode

• Watch the reel recap

• Connect with Anna Rooney on LinkedIn

• Connect with Nikki Estes on LinkedIn

How Can Practicing Your Voice Strengthen Leadership Confidence in 8 Weeks?

With the new EVUxTVU alignment, we also highlighted the upcoming:

Leadership Development Coaching (via Top Voices Unite ) 8-Week Confidence Accelerator

This isn’t passive learning. It’s live practice, feedback, and presence-building in real time.

Designed for leaders ready to:

• Strengthen executive voice
• Practice speaking under pressure
• Build confidence that compounds

Watch the program video

Join the 2026 waitlist (limited spots) by commenting “Market Me More”

3 Ways a Unified Community Strengthens Leadership in 2026

As we move through February—and toward the merging of Emerging Voices Unite and Top Voices Unite—this week reminded us of something essential:

• Leadership deepens when we choose care over control.
• Responsibility over blame.
• Community over isolation.

This is not a goodbye. It’s a strengthening of voices. A widening of space. A greater community built together.

Thank you for practicing leadership with honesty, responsibility, and heart.