A Journey of Leadership Resilience

In March 2020, as the world ground to a halt amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis, I was sitting in my home office in Phoenix, Arizona, sipping coffee and scrolling through the morning news. Headlines screamed about global lockdowns, skyrocketing unemployment, and an economy teetering on the brink. Little did I know, my own world was about to shatter. I opened an unexpected email from Alliance Residential Company, where I'd spent the last seven years as National Performance Director of Training and Development. The message was blunt: due to the sudden economic fallout from the pandemic, my role—overseeing talent development for multifamily teams across more than 20 regional offices nationwide—had been eliminated. Just like that, after slashing turnover from 55% to a remarkable 3% in 18 months through innovative training ecosystems and leadership programs that boosted engagement by 40% and internal promotions by 25%, I was out of a job.

The real estate industry, particularly multifamily housing, which thrives on in-person site visits, tenant interactions, and collaborative team huddles, was reeling. Overnight, showings went virtual, evictions were halted by moratoriums, and remote work forced a scramble to adapt tools we'd barely considered before. Broader data painted a grim picture: nonfarm employment plummeted sharply in March and April, ending the longest U.S. economic expansion on record, while commercial real estate faced immediate hits, including declining lease revenues and occupancy rates, as companies pivoted to remote setups. For me, it wasn't just statistics—it was the sudden obsolescence of the structured hierarchies and traditional leadership models I'd built my career on. We'd trained leaders for steady growth, not for navigating uncharted chaos like virtual team-building or maintaining morale amid isolation and uncertainty. The pandemic exposed glaring gaps: our development programs weren't resilient, inclusive, or adaptable enough to prioritize people over rigid processes in a crisis.

That layoff wasn't merely a professional setback; it was a profound personal wake-up call that tested my own resilience. As a father, I'd always dedicated my efforts to building a secure future for my son—pouring late nights into curricula that empowered managers and fostering cultures of continuous learning. In that moment of disruption, with the world feeling unmoored, I could have spiraled into despair. Instead, I channeled it into perseverance. I pivoted quickly, stepping into an adjunct professor role at Grand Canyon University that same year, where I began architecting leadership curricula for over 200 students annually, embedding strategic thinking, ethical decision-making, and adaptive skills into seminars that blended developmental psychology with emerging tech. This role not only kept me grounded but also deepened my pursuit of a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, which I completed in 2024, focusing my dissertation on reimagining leadership development in the post-pandemic era through insights from HR professionals in the U.S. real estate industry.

By 2021, I'd founded Rawe Leadership Solutions (RLS) as Director of Cognitive Development & Training, where I designed cognitive coaching programs using techniques like Immunity to Change mind maps. These initiatives boosted leadership effectiveness by 25% in client organizations, improved retention by 23%, and even drove $3.2 million in cost savings through neuroscience-informed executive coaching. Concurrently, I took on roles at Christian Care Management as an IT System Administrator and an I/O Psychology Practitioner, leading software rollouts for Yardi and Aline CRM across senior living campuses. Applying evidence-based strategies, I reduced user resistance by 40%, enhanced staff proficiency, and optimized data insights for operational efficiency—proving that leadership development could thrive even in hybrid, tech-driven environments.

This journey mirrored the broader challenges the pandemic unveiled for leaders everywhere: the urgent need for democratized access to training, customized approaches that honor diverse generations and mental complexities, and a people-centric focus that builds relationships and celebrates wins amid volatility. It's why I wrote this book—to transform those hard-won lessons into a practical roadmap for reimagining policies, practices, and purposes in leadership development. Whether you're a manager navigating hybrid teams or an aspiring leader seeking resilience, let's explore how to turn disruption into enduring strength.