AIM 2025: Lead Like You, Not Like Them

Opening Keynote: Lead Like You, Not Like Them 

Rocky Garza took the AIM 2025 stage with a bold and energizing call to action: stop trying to lead like someone else. In a fast-paced, change-heavy industry, the most effective leaders are those who fully understand and embrace who they are—and lead from that foundation. Garza’s session wasn’t about new systems or technologies; it was about identity, ownership, and unleashing authentic influence.

He opened by reframing the conversation around leadership. Too often, he said, we lead based on titles, trends, or what we think success is “supposed” to look like. But the reality? People follow people, not positions. And before you can lead others, you have to know who you are and what you bring to the table.

Garza introduced the idea that clarity is your most valuable currency. In an industry where many feel stretched thin and overwhelmed, being grounded in who you are can be a differentiator. When leaders are clear about their values, motivations, and boundaries, they don’t just perform better—they empower others to do the same. It’s this self-awareness that fosters trust, alignment, and long-term influence.

He challenged the audience to consider how often they’ve defaulted to leading like “them”—the boss before them, the loudest voice in the room, or even someone they follow on LinkedIn. Mimicking others may feel safe, but it’s unsustainable. The only leadership style that lasts, Garza argued, is the one that’s true to you.

Using personal stories, humor, and real talk, Garza walked through the core pillars of self-leadership. First: belief. What do you believe about yourself? About your capacity, your purpose, your value? Most people, he noted, haven’t stopped long enough to ask. Yet these beliefs drive every decision, every reaction, and every leadership move.

Second: ownership. Leaders must own their story—including the messiness. That doesn’t mean having it all figured out. It means showing up honestly, setting clear boundaries, and leading from vulnerability, not just vision. Garza made it clear: pretending to have it all together does not build credibility—authenticity does.

Third: alignment. Your internal clarity must align with your external behavior. Are your words and actions in sync? Do your team members experience consistency from you, or are you adapting to fit the room? Alignment is where trust is built—or broken.

He paused to ask the room a powerful question: “If you weren’t doing your job title, would people still follow you?” It landed with impact. Because leadership isn’t about the org chart—it’s about how people experience you. Garza reminded the audience that no one is inspired by someone who’s trying to be someone else.

To drive these points home, he challenged attendees to complete two sentences for themselves:

1. I am the kind of person who...

2. I believe my role is to...

It’s a deceptively simple exercise, but Garza explained how these prompts get to the heart of self-leadership. When you can clearly articulate who you are and why you lead, you move from reactive to intentional. And that shift creates the conditions for real influence.

He acknowledged that this kind of self-reflection isn’t always comfortable—especially in a high-pressure, performance-driven environment. But clarity, he argued, is what creates capacity. Without it, burnout, misalignment, and frustration are inevitable.

Garza closed with a challenge: lead like you. Not like your mentor. Not like your CEO. Not like a social media personality. Because when you lead like you, you offer something no one else can—your unreplicable self. That’s your greatest leadership asset, and it’s the one most people are leaving untapped.

As attendees left the room, the message lingered: leadership doesn’t start with tactics or technology—it starts with identity. In an industry focused on external metrics, Garza invited everyone to turn inward first. Because knowing who you are isn’t just good for you—it’s good for your team, your culture, and your residents.