Leadership Lessons from Living with Type 1 Diabetes

When people ask me how I’ve learned to lead organizations, advocate for change, or manage complex challenges, they often expect the answer to involve formal education, mentors, or professional experiences. While all of those things have certainly played a role, one of my greatest teachers has been something I never would have chosen: living with type 1 diabetes.

Living with type 1 diabetes requires leadership in its own quiet way. From the moment of diagnosis, you are asked to take ownership of something that demands constant attention and responsibility. There is no day off from the disease. There are no shortcuts. You learn very quickly that your decisions matter, and that you must remain present, disciplined, and adaptable.

Those same qualities translate directly into leadership.

Type 1 diabetes teaches you how to make decisions with imperfect information. Blood sugar levels can change for many reasons — food, stress, sleep, exercise, illness, or sometimes for reasons that remain unclear. You learn to evaluate what you know, make the best decision possible in that moment, and then adjust as new information becomes available. Leadership often requires the same mindset.

It also teaches resilience. Even when you do everything right, the outcome isn’t always what you expect. Numbers can rise or fall unexpectedly, and the only option is to regroup and keep moving forward. That ability to adapt, recalibrate, and continue forward despite setbacks becomes a powerful leadership skill over time.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons diabetes teaches is humility. Managing this disease reminds you that control is not always absolute. It requires patience with yourself and compassion for others who are facing their own unseen challenges. As a leader, that perspective shapes how you support people, build teams, and create environments where others can succeed.

Living with type 1 diabetes also reinforces the value of preparation and planning. Every day requires thinking ahead — about meals, travel, schedules, and how different situations might impact your health. In leadership, the ability to anticipate challenges and prepare for them is equally important.

But above all, type 1 diabetes has taught me the importance of purpose. When you live with a disease that requires constant effort, you begin to look for ways to turn that experience into something meaningful. For me, that purpose became Touched by Type 1 — a community built to support, educate, and empower others living with this disease.

Leadership is often described as guiding others forward. Living with type 1 diabetes has shown me that leadership can also come from simply continuing to show up each day with determination, compassion, and a willingness to help others along the way.

The lessons learned from this disease extend far beyond blood sugar levels. They shape how you face challenges, how you support others, and how you lead with resilience and purpose.