Leadership as Action: Empowering Innovation, Influence, and Growth in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork

Abstract

Leadership in therapeutic massage and bodywork is often associated with formal roles or titles. However, the profession benefits when leadership is recognized as action rooted in values, not status. This editorial explores how informal leadership—expressed through innovation, policy engagement, mentorship, and lifelong learning—can strengthen the profession and expand its influence. Drawing from current scholarship and professional practice, it calls on practitioners, educators, and researchers to embrace their capacity to lead in ways that are collaborative, inclusive, and transformative.