Leadership Lessons from the Philbrook Museum of Art
Leadership isn’t about being visible. It’s about being responsible.
After years in journalism and now running a branding and PR firm, I’ve learned that leadership often looks very different behind the scenes than it does online. It’s not the speaking gigs, the polished posts, or the big announcements, though those things have their place. It’s the quiet decisions no one will ever see.
It’s holding boundaries when it’s easier not to. It’s choosing alignment over growth at all costs.
That truth hit me again on a trip to the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with my daughters.
The Philbrook is stunning — part museum, part historical landmark, part soul sanctuary. Originally a private home, it was gifted to the city of Tulsa in 1938 by Waite and Genevieve Phillips and transformed into a museum that now holds over 16,000 works of art. It’s a space that holds stories, culture, and creativity all in one breath.
One room in particular stopped me in my tracks: the Philbrook’s library.
As you enter, you’re greeted by Promiseland, a mixed‑media collage by Oklahoma-based artist Skip Hill. Known for his richly layered works that blend cultural motifs, narrative fragments, and vibrant color, Hill invites viewers into reflection on hope, history, and possibility. The piece evokes the idea of a promised future, while holding space for the complexities and contradictions that come with it.
Just beyond Promiseland, I found myself sitting beneath a glowing, celestial chandelier, a 1920s globe light, believed to be a Caldwell fixture inspired by a 1515 map by Leonardo da Vinci. Suspended from the high ceilings of the Philbrook’s library, I sat there in that room staring for nearly an hour, just breathing and reflecting. The room, drenched in natural light, held a quiet power. The energy felt sacred.
Across the room, my daughter Alejandra stood near the window, her back to me, looking out.
That moment felt like a metaphor.
“Leadership Isn’t What Shows Up Online. It’s What Happens Inside Us.”
There I was… grounded, reflective, thinking deeply about the past and present. And there she was… curious, hopeful, facing the future. Two generations sharing the same space, holding different postures. One looking inward. One looking ahead.
I think leadership is a lot like that.
We don’t always get to post the “aha” moments or explain the tradeoffs behind a decision. Much of what it takes to lead with integrity happens off-camera. But those moments still matter. They shape the way we show up for our teams, our clients, our communities, and ourselves.
At Lozafina, I’ve built my work around storytelling, leadership, and community because those three things are inseparable. Storytelling helps us see each other. Leadership asks us to serve something bigger than ourselves. Community keeps us rooted.
That’s what I was sitting with at the Philbrook.
And now, I’m curious: what’s one leadership lesson you had to learn the hard way?