The tone starts at the top — and I realized mine needed to change.

This week at HOBY Youth Leadership's World Leadership Congress, I’ve been leading a powerhouse team of 12 college-age volunteers on the operations team.

They’ve crushed it.

They’ve been incredible, handling 17-hour days, executing nonstop logistics, and serving with focus, heart, and an attitude that lifts the whole program. But yesterday, I finally realized something. They were taking things a bit too seriously.

Sure, they were having fun, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Two years ago, my college-age team was also a powerhouse. But they were equally known for the constant laughter, inside jokes, and joy woven into every moment.

So I asked myself what changed. And then it hit me, in my goal to set the bar even higher for this team, I set it so high that I hadn't left room for those lighthearted, spontaneous moments that make service not just meaningful, but memorable.

I’m naturally achievement-driven. I value results. I build teams to be high achieving. But in the process, I had unintentionally set the tone of efficiency, urgency, and output... and it was starting to lead to stress, a little frustration, and fatigue trying to be perfect.

So last night, instead of diving deep into our nightly logistics debrief, we hit pause. We put down our schedules and we took a group excursion to 7-Eleven. A 5 minute walk with some music, some slurpees, some fresh air... and a lot of laughter and even more smiles. A chance to just be together and have fun.

Today? Even better energy. Stronger connection. A renewed sense of purpose.

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a leader isn’t pushing harder. It’s lightening the mood and making space for joy. Because culture isn’t just built through planning and performance, it’s built through the tone you set, moment by moment.

(And no, I’m not sponsored by 7-Eleven... but I would love to be.)