Lead With a Need (The Friday Ficks S6 E3)

“If it bleeds, it leads.”

You might have heard this quote from newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst before - and if you scroll social media or check the news, you’ve certainly felt it.

Hour after hour, headlines hammer us with crisis, conflict, and despair. It’s exhausting. It’s numbing. And it’s quietly changing us - desensitizing us, dulling empathy, leaving us emotionally drained.

But what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of chasing drama, we chose to lead with a need?

People don’t just need information. They need connection. They need to know someone genuinely cares, that they’re seen, heard, and understood. They need hope. They need reminders that their lives have purpose, meaning, and value - beyond the basics of survival.

Ironically (or perhaps not), the root of leadership is lead. To lead is to go first. To set the tone. To choose intention over inertia.

Leading with a need is a conscious decision, a small but powerful act that ripples outward. Every word you write, every conversation you have, every post, every gesture - can either feed the numbness or nurture the humanity in those around you.

So this weekend, try it. Lead with a need. Show empathy. Offer hope. Listen deeply. Remind someone that they matter.

In a media world obsessed with the macabre, this simple shift might just change everything - around them, around you, and within you.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl