Coming home to myself

How leadership training changed my mindset

- By DR. KAYCEE REYES

I joined LEAP because of the people I knew who'd done it. They were different after—calmer, more present. I wanted whatever they had. So one weekend, I showed up to my first intensive thinking I was ready. I wasn't even close.

For those unfamiliar, LEAP—the Leadership Excellence Achievement Program by Innov8—isn't your typical corporate training. Think of it as building "metabolic armor" for your mind. It's about developing the inner strength to handle real-world challenges while staying true to who you are. The program pushes you to make a decision—and I mean that in the original sense of the word, which means cutting off other options. You decide to be the best version of yourself, not someday, but every single day.

We started with grounding—something from aikido. Just standing there, breathing, finding your center, and testing balance. Sounds simple, right? But my mind is always somewhere else: planning, worrying, replaying conversations. That exercise forced me to actually be where I was. It felt like finally exhaling after holding my breath for months.