Tariq Hassan on Returning to Your Why

Virtual Event Recap

During a recent private LEAP Alumni & Community virtual call, members gathered for an unfiltered conversation with Tariq Hassan, former Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at McDonald's, longtime LEAP mentor, and one of the most influential leaders in the industry. Tariq opened up about what it truly means to stay anchored in your purpose — especially when the pressures of leadership, performance, and transformation push you off center.

These calls offer a rare, off-the-record space where senior marketing leaders hear the real stories behind the moments, lessons, and choices that have shaped how today’s top executives lead. Read on for the highlights.

The Catalyst to His Purpose

For Tariq, the most defining leadership lesson is simple but hard to practice: “It’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do.” 

He shared that leaders often master the craft of marketing, operations, and transformation — but rarely the craft of themselves. 

"We spend so much time teaching people to be great at what they do, and not enough time helping them be great at the craft of themselves.”

That realization deepened during one of the most difficult chapters of his life, when his young daughter was diagnosed with a rare cancer. That experience led him to confront how differently he showed up at home versus at work and inspired him to integrate the two with far more honesty and intention. “I entered my next job as a very different leader.”

Since then, Tariq has learned that identity, values, and leadership are inseparable. Leaders must continually return to who they are, check when they’ve drifted, and have the courage to course-correct. “This is the pillar that’s really about you… Have you actually spent time investing in yourself?”

How Great Leaders Stay Anchored

Know who you are — and who you’re not. Tariq shared that one of the most overlooked leadership skills is knowing what to say no to. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he noted. As responsibilities expand, focus and sacrifice become essential.

Use frameworks that bring you back to your purpose. To stay aligned as life shifts, Tariq relies on tools—like the Ikigai—that prompt reflection. “I’m on my third ikigai… because as you change and your life changes, your passions change,” he shared.

Lead with authenticity, empathy, and vulnerability. Teams follow leaders who show who they really are. Tariq spoke about how hiding parts of himself earlier in his career limited his impact and how embracing his dyslexia ultimately became a strength. “I had to stop hiding it and actually lean into it,” he said.

Model psychological safety. Tariq has long believed that “you cannot achieve greatness while you’re afraid of failure.” At McDonald’s, he helped shift the culture by introducing The Amazing Almosts, a quarterly celebration of the smartest failures — a practice that eventually became a foundation of trust.

Curate an “extended family” of support. He stressed the importance of multiple circles of people who challenge, encourage, and ground you. These relationships, he said, are essential for staying healthy in high-pressure roles. “Find the places where you can close the locker room door and be honest,” he urged.

Make purpose-led (not title-led) career decisions. On career moves that may look unconventional from the outside, Tariq encouraged leaders to let purpose lead. Careers unfold in chapters, he noted, and purpose — not outside expectations — should guide the way. “You have to decide what noise you let in,” he added.

Why It Matters

Tariq reminded the community of rising leaders that in an era defined by transformation, uncertainty, and AI-driven acceleration, the most important leadership work is internal. Organizations will change, roles will change, and expectations will change — but the one constant is who you choose to be.

As he put it, “You all are the next wave. The people behind you are counting on you to do this better than we did.”

About Tariq Hassan

Tariq Hassan is the former Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA, where he led brand, digital, and experience transformation across one of the world’s most iconic companies. Prior to McDonald’s, he held executive leadership roles at Petco, HP, Bank of America, Omnicom, and agencies across the globe.

A longtime partner to the LEAP Flagship and LEAP Essentials programs, Tariq is a respected thought leader on purpose, transformation, and the human side of leadership. He also serves as a mentor to rising executives across the industry.