What a Supreme Court Justice Taught Me About Leadership (Without Saying a Word About Leadership)

I'll be honest — when my husband Greg emailed his old high school classmate to say he'd be in Washington, D.C. for work, I didn't expect much. People get busy. Life gets big. And few lives have gotten bigger than that of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the United States Supreme Court.

So when she not only emailed back, but invited Greg to observe oral arguments and meet with her in her chambers — with two guests — I booked my flight before he finished reading the message out loud.

Inside Her Chambers: A Room Full of History 

Walking into Justice Jackson's chambers is the kind of moment that makes you forget how to act normal. You notice everything: the weight of the room, the quiet gravity of it. And then she walks in — warm, present, genuinely glad to see you — and somehow the room gets both more impressive and more human at the same time.

She showed us around with the ease of someone who hasn't lost their sense of wonder about where they've landed. She pointed out Thurgood Marshall's clock on the mantle with a reverence that said I know exactly whose shoulders I'm standing on. The artwork on the walls came from the Smithsonian, each piece chosen deliberately. She walked us through her custom-designed desk — built exactly to her specifications — and then showed us her pedestal desk, positioned deliberately by the window. That's where she signs her opinions, and she placed it there so she could look out at the people — a reminder of who she's doing the work for. That's not an accident. 

But what struck me most wasn't the history in the room. It was her.

She spoke about her journey with real gratitude and humility — the kind that comes from someone who has genuine appreciation for the road to getting there and how much it matters to show up fully now that she's here. It was a "pinch me" moment — one that left me thinking about leadership in ways I'm still unpacking.

Three Lessons I Took Back to My Work

I spend my days coaching leaders and consulting with organizations — executives, leadership teams, people navigating the gap between where they are and who they're trying to become. And I left those chambers with three reminders that I think apply to every single one of them.

1. Relationships Are Your Most Undervalued Asset

Justice Jackson sits on the highest court in the country. Her schedule is not her own, especially when Court is in session. And yet — she emailed back. She made time. She extended the invitation outward, not just to Greg but to two guests he wanted to bring along.

That kind of relational intentionality doesn't happen by accident. It's a choice, made consistently over decades, to treat the people in your life as valuable and unique — even when you're busy, especially when you're busy.

The leaders I work with may unintentionally treat relationship-building as something they'll get to eventually. Justice Jackson is a living reminder that the people who invest in connection at every level of their career are the ones who build something that lasts.

Ask yourself: Who in your professional or personal life deserves a text back that you haven't sent yet?

2. Presence Is a Form of Power

There were a lot of things Justice Jackson could have done during that time with us. She could have been distracted, checked her phone, kept one eye on the door, or focused on arguments that were starting in 30 minutes. Instead, she was there — fully, unhurriedly present.

In a world where attention is the scarcest resource most leaders have, choosing to give it completely is an act of generosity and influence. People remember how it feels to be truly seen and heard by someone. That feeling creates loyalty, trust, and the kind of connection that no title or org chart can manufacture.

Presence isn't passive. It's one of the most active choices a leader can make.

Ask yourself: When was the last time someone in your life or on your team had your full, undivided attention? What would change if that happened more often?

3. Staying Grounded Is the Work

It would be easy — maybe even forgivable — for someone at Justice Jackson's level to become a little untouchable. To let the weight of the position create distance. Instead, she was disarmingly normal. Funny. Self-aware. Someone who clearly still experiences life as a person, not just as a role.

That groundedness isn't incidental to her leadership. It's central to it. The leaders who maintain their humanity as they rise are the ones people actually want to follow. Not because they're perfect, but because they're real.

Authentic leadership isn't a communication style. It's a daily decision to bring your whole self to the work — including the parts that are still figuring it out.

Ask yourself: Where in your leadership have you started performing rather than actually showing up? What would it look like to close that gap?

The Moment That Said Everything

At the end of our time together, what stayed with me wasn't any single thing Justice Jackson said. It was the simple fact that she said yes.

She didn't have to respond to that email. She didn't have to carve out time. She didn't have to let two near-strangers into her chambers on a busy court day. But she did — because that's who she has chosen to be, at every level of a remarkable career.

That's the part I keep coming back to. Leadership isn't something that happens once you arrive somewhere. It's built in ten thousand small choices along the way — who you stay in touch with, how present you are, whether you let success change the way you treat people.

Justice Jackson clearly made those choices long before anyone was watching.

The best leaders always do.

I'd love to hear what resonates with you. Which of these lessons is most alive in your leadership right now — and where do you have the most room to grow? Reach out to me and share.