Finding Your Way Home: Leadership Lessons from The Wizard of Oz
Photo by Julie Breckenfelder (read to the end for more pics!)
I'm writing this from 30,000 feet on my way home from Vegas, where I just experienced something magical—watching The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere. If you haven't heard about it, imagine the entire 1939 classic wrapping around you on a 160,000 square-foot screen while wind swirls during the tornado scene and snow falls during the poppy field. It's breathtaking.
But here's what struck me most: I've loved this story since childhood (yes, I've always been Team Wicked Witch—but that's another post). And sitting there, completely immersed in Dorothy's journey, I realized we've had the roadmap to effective leadership since 1939. We just haven't been paying attention.
The Journey We're All Taking
Dorothy's quest to find her way home isn't really about Kansas. It's about discovering she already had everything she needed—she just didn't know how to access it yet. Sound familiar?
Think about the three companions she meets along the yellow brick road. The Scarecrow seeking his brain. The Tin Man hoping for a heart. The Lion craving courage. Each one already possessed what they were searching for—they simply needed to recognize and activate it.
This is self-leadership in action.
The Scarecrow already had brilliant ideas. He just hadn't trusted his thinking enough to lead with it. How often do we discount our own insights, waiting for someone else to validate what we already know?
The Tin Man was overflowing with compassion. He felt everything deeply but believed he was missing something essential. Leaders, when's the last time you acknowledged that your capacity to feel—your empathy, your emotional awareness—is a strength, not a weakness?
The Lion had been courageous all along. While he didn’t believe he had “the nerve,” The Lion kept trusting his instincts to prioritize the safety of his friends, even in the face of fear. We must remember that “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to move forward despite it.” - Susan David and maybe the Wizard of Oz
Your Head, Heart, and Gut
Here's an invitation to pause and consider your own yellow brick road. Effective leadership isn't about acquiring more knowledge, developing even more empathy, or manufacturing more courage. It's about intentionally directing what you already have within you.
Tap into your head. What are you actually thinking? Not what you think you should think, but what's genuinely running through your mind right now? Your thoughts create your reality. The Scarecrow didn't need a diploma to prove he was smart—he needed to trust his own thinking.
Tap into your heart. How do those thoughts make you feel? Don't rush past this. The Tin Man's journey reminds us that feelings aren't obstacles to overcome—they're essential data points guiding our decisions, aligning with our values, and being intentional.
Notice your gut. What does your instinct tell you, even when it doesn't make logical sense? The Lion's journey reminds us that courage isn't about having all the answers—it's about trusting that deep, unconscious knowing that guides you forward even in the face of fear. Sometimes your gut sees connections your head hasn't processed yet. That whisper of intuition? It's worth listening to, even when you are scared.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road from Awareness to Action
Here's where most leaders get stuck—and it's exactly where Dorothy's friends were stuck too. They were extraordinarily aware. The Scarecrow knew he wanted to think more strategically. The Tin Man recognized his desire for deeper connection. The Lion could name his need for courage. But awareness alone doesn't create change.
So how might this apply in our daily leadership? Consider the leader who is completely aware she micromanages when deadlines loom. She can predict when her tendencies will take over, recognize the pattern as it unfolds, even articulate why she does it. But knowing won't change anything. That’s what I call the "insight loop"—endless awareness without meaningful action.
The shift will happen when she starts to intentionally direct her responses to looming deadlines. In her next high-pressure moment, instead of defaulting to her usual pattern, she may pause and experience an internal dialogue like:
"My head is telling me from my past experience this deadline is impossible. My heart feels anxious and wants oversight on every task. But, wait. I know my team is capable and high-functioning. I feel confident in their abilities and believe in them under pressure. My inner-knowing says lead by supporting them where they want it rather than being in the weeds. I'm going to trust that inner-knowing and ask instead of tell."
That's the difference between self-awareness and self-leadership. That's the yellow brick road in action.
There Really Is No Place Like Home
Somewhere over the rainbow, the bluebirds fly. But the truth is, there's no magical destination where everything suddenly makes sense. Home isn't a place you find—it's a state of being you intentionally create through your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
The most powerful moment in the film? When Dorothy discovers she had the power to go home the entire time. She just had to learn it for herself. The same is true for your leadership.
You don't need the Wizard to grant you permission. You don't need to wait until you're "experienced enough." What you need is already within you. The question isn't whether you have what it takes—it's whether you're ready to lead yourself intentionally.
So here's your yellow brick road moment: Pick one situation this week—one meeting, one decision, one difficult conversation. Before you respond, pause and ask yourself: What's my head telling me? What's my heart feeling? What does my gut know? Then choose your response from that intentional place rather than your default pattern.
If you want to go deeper, I've created a Your Inner Compass worksheet that guides you through listening to all three centers of your inner wisdom—your head, heart, and gut—to make decisions with clarity and confidence. It's the roadmap Dorothy could have used and the one that will help you find your way home.
Get past your fears. The wicked witch is dead. (Though between you and me, she was just misunderstood all along.)