When we speak of leadership and meaningful ways to lead in the games industry — indeed, when we have spoken about these topics at previous GamesBeat Women in Gaming Breakfasts — we often discuss how leaders can relate to others. How to lead, how to mentor, how to be the person your colleagues need. These are sound and necessary discussions to have. But when I spoke with the panelists at the BOSS Mode: Women in Gaming, Entertainment and Tech Breakfast at GamesBeat Summit 2026, they had a different form of advice: Leadership begins with the self, and nurturing yourself will make you a better leader overall. I had the pleasure of moderating the panel, and we spoke at length about leadership and how to bring the best returns to the company of which you’re part. Amanda Kruse, VP of business development at Blumhouse, said in response to a question about balance and achieving goals, “I think it’s constant thing of self-evaluation. Not to be corny about it, but if you’re not taking care of yourself, if you are not in a good place, you’re not going to communicate well. You’re not going to create a space that’s great for everybody else, and it’s easy to run out of gas in the pursuit of those things… You have to sit with yourself and ask, ‘What do I need?’” The rest of the panelists echoed that belief that being a competent leader who delivered returns began with the self. Leanne Loombe, head…
