From me to we: the Rose Gold Rule is future of leadership 

In a moment shared on Instagram in 2023, officials lined up to honor each Manchester City player for winning their first UEFA Super Cup title, offering firm handshakes as the team walked past. Standing quietly among the officials was a young blind girl. Player after player passed her by without a word, until England midfielder Jack Grealish noticed and paused. He reached out, gently took her hands, and said hello. In that simple, instinctive gesture, he became her hero. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t performative. It was pure compassion, and a powerful reminder that true impact begins with awareness.

This is genuine compassion in action – the kind of behavior that reminds us that leadership isn’t always about fancy titles or grand gestures. Sometimes, it’s about small acts of humanity that ripple outward. This is the kind of leadership the world needs now. We’ve evolved in how we treat one another, first through empathy, then understanding, and now, collective responsibility.

The evolution of empathy in leadership

First came the “Golden Rule”: Treat others the way you want to be treated. This principle, while timeless, is rooted in your own perspective. What feels respectful or inclusive to you might not land the same for someone with a different background, identity, or lived experience.

Then came the “Platinum Rule”: Treat others the way they want to be treated. This brings a more personalized approach. However, it speaks to individual preferences rather than shared realities. It doesn’t consider the systemic structures or collective needs of diverse teams navigating modern workplaces.

Now, let me introduce what we at The Female Quotient call the “Rose Gold Rule”: Do unto others in a way that reflects the needs of the collective. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about “we”.

The Dalai Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” That’s not just philosophy – it’s workplace strategy. Altruism is not weakness, but strength rooted in the understanding that we rise by lifting others. Compassion, when practiced collectively, becomes culture. This is what the Dalai Lama calls “wise selfishness” – doing good for others because it uplifts everyone, including yourself. This mindset is the foundation of the Rose Gold Rule. Because when we design workplaces that work for those historically left out, we create environments that work better for everyone.

The role of conscious design

Culture cannot be mandated. It is not a policy, it’s a practice. It’s how people make each other feel. That’s why I always say: hire for passion, train for skill (unless you’re hiring a doctor). When people are values-aligned, they bring their whole selves to work. And when people feel respected, they collaborate better, innovate faster, and stay longer.

We often talk about inclusive culture, but inclusion cannot be left to chance. It happens by design. Just think about these everyday examples:

• Working parents juggling school pickup with pitch meetings.
• First-generation professionals learning unspoken office rules.
• Neurodiverse team members thriving in non-traditional environments.
• Caregivers navigating burnout quietly.
• Colleagues fasting during Ramadan or celebrating holidays not marked on the corporate calendar.

These are not outlier cases, but the realities of our modern workforce. When we lead through the lens of the collective, we create systems that acknowledge, support, and uplift everyone.

We’ve long known that the so-called minority is becoming the collective majority across race, gender, ability, caregiving roles, economic background, and identity. When we build from the bottom up, not the top down, we change the foundation itself. This is not just a shift in mindset; it’s a movement powered by empathy, led by intention, and built with inclusion.

So, as we rethink what it means to lead in today’s world, ask yourself: Are you leading with the Golden Rule? The Platinum Rule? Or are you ready for the Rose Gold Rule? Because the future of leadership belongs to the ones who lead for “we”.