How Your Hobbies Can Make You a Better Leader

Sometimes the best lessons in leadership and customer experience don't come from the boardroom or even the call center. They come from the things we love doing in our free time. At a recent ICMI Thought Leaders meetup, several of the experts in our community shared some surprising ways their hobbies sharpen their skills at work. Their stories are a great reminder that leadership lessons are all around us if we're willing to look.

Collecting Insights Like Junk Journals

For Corey Goldbaum, junk journaling gives her an outlet to build something beautiful from small, authentic pieces. That same mindset shows up in customer experience. One big, bold initiative alone doesn't create the customer experience; all the little inputs add up over time. Like Corey's journals, our CX strategies shine brightest when we gather ideas from across the organization and piece them together with care and consideration.

The Ministry of Vision

Dan Smitley draws leadership inspiration from his work in youth ministry. Guiding young people means finding ways to connect across diverse groups and rally them around a shared vision. The same is true in the workplace. Whether you're aligning teams on strategy or building buy-in for a new initiative, success often comes down to how well you can communicate your vision and create belonging for everyone involved.

Beauty Shapes Experience

For Afshan Kinder, interior design is a hobby and a philosophy. She knows that the spaces we occupy shape how we feel and interact with others. For example, a thoughtfully designed environment can inspire creativity, calm nerves, and foster collaboration. The same principle applies to customer experience and leadership: when we design with intention —whether it's a workspace, a process, or a customer journey — we shape how people feel and what they remember.

The Power of Presence

When Bryant Richardson turns to motorcycling, he says it's just as much about presence as it is the ride. On the road, you have to be fully aware of your surroundings, tuned in to every moment. That kind of focus translates beautifully into leadership. Teams thrive when leaders are truly present: listening carefully, noticing what's unsaid, and giving their full attention. Leadership requires both awareness and responsiveness in real time.

Details Build the Big Picture

Model railroading has taught Jacob Shields that details matter. Every tiny track, structure, and signal has its place in creating a working system. Leadership is no different. Big goals are important, but they only become reality when we pay attention to the small things, like patience, intention, and consistent follow-through. The big picture comes into focus when we take care of the details along the way.

Final Thoughts

What struck me most from this conversation is how leadership growth often happens outside of work. Our hobbies and passions teach us creativity, patience, vision, and presence. These qualities make us better leaders and better CX professionals.

So, here's the question: what hobby is it time for you to reconnect with or try?