“If you can lead a horse, you can learn to lead your life again.” – Karah Powell

Some people show up to life. Karah Powell shows up to lead it. Not with fanfare. Not with flair. But with the kind of quiet presence that makes people feel like they belong.

In our latest Rock Solid podcast episode, I sat down with Karah—veteran, nonprofit leader, and the heart behind ROCK (Ride On Center for Kids). And as we talked, I realized this wasn’t just a story about horses or therapy. It was about something deeper. It was about leadership born from empathy. It was about the kind of leadership that actually heals people.

But to understand what makes her style so rare, you have to meet the invisible elephant in the room. The one too many leaders carry. The weight of trying to do it all. Fix it all. Be it all.

I’ve been there. I wrote about it in I Think I Swallowed An Elephant. That feeling when your purpose gets so big, it feels impossible to carry. Karah doesn’t avoid that weight. She transforms it. One Tuesday night meal. One saddle. One story at a time.

Leadership That Feels Like Healing

What ROCK does isn’t flashy, but it’s powerful. Veterans come back to life, not by reliving their pain in a clinical room, but by brushing a horse. Kids stop being defined by their diagnoses and start being kids again.

This is empathy in motion. Not just feeling someone’s pain, but helping them rewrite their story. Slowly. Gently. Powerfully.

Karah’s leadership is built in moments. A meal shared. A saddle adjusted. A smile offered. Her question isn’t, “How do I fix this?” It’s, “How can we serve people in a way that helps them remember who they really are?”

That’s not a program. That’s a calling.

The Kind of Story That People Want to Join

In I Think I Swallowed An Elephant, I wrote:

“Facts tell, but stories sell. Not products, but belief. Not features, but future.”

Karah doesn’t market. She tells stories that people want to be part of. That’s why ROCK doesn’t need to chase grants or gimmicks. People believe in it because it gives them something to believe in.

She leads with empathy. She builds with consistency. And she invites others into a story that feels like home.

It’s not about one grand moment. It’s about showing up again and again.

What’s the Elephant in Your Life?

Karah reminded me that real leadership starts with telling the truth. First to yourself, then to others. It’s about owning the story. Even the heavy parts. Especially the heavy parts.

Because when you carry your story with grace, you make it lighter for everyone else.

So here’s the question: What’s your elephant?

What’s the thing you’ve been trying to carry alone? Maybe it’s time to stop pretending it doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s time to stop swallowing it and start sharing it.

Because when we lead with empathy, we don’t just help others follow. We help them rise.