“Say Yes, Say No, Tell the Truth”: The Leadership Legacy of Shonda Rhimes

How Shonda Rhimes built Shondaland, changed television, and reinvented herself — without ever losing her voice

"The most exciting part of my legacy? I meet so many young women who went into science and medicine because of Grey’s Anatomy. That was never the plan. But that’s the power of story."

— Shonda Rhimes on ReThinking with Adam Grant

When Shonda Rhimes graduated from USC’s film school, she wasn’t aiming to build a media empire. She wasn’t planning to inspire generations of women to enter medicine. And she definitely didn’t envision becoming the first showrunner to ink a massive deal with Netflix that would redefine the streaming landscape.

She just wanted to tell stories.

But in her conversation with organizational psychologist Adam Grant on ReThinking, Rhimes revealed that storytelling — when done with authenticity and clarity of vision — becomes leadership. And her own journey, from quiet writer to bold founder of Shondaland, is a masterclass in how reinvention, resilience, and values-based decision-making can shape not just a career, but a culture.

“You can’t be Toni Morrison. But you can write.”

Growing up, Rhimes dreamed of becoming Toni Morrison — Nobel laureate, professor, literary icon. That aspiration, she says, wasn’t about fame. It was about the joy of building worlds with words.

But Rhimes also flirted with other paths: law, medicine, even the CIA. What tied them all together?

“I didn’t actually want to do those things. I wanted to write about them. I wanted to pretend and live in that world.”

That realization — that she could live through her characters — became her entry point into Hollywood. But not without friction. After winning a contest and securing an agent, Rhimes found herself selling her CDs just to buy gas. Still, she bet on herself one last time: she wrote a script, vowing that if it didn’t sell, she’d pursue med school instead.

It sold. It never got made. But it sold again. And again. Enough to survive. Enough to keep going.

And then came Grey’s Anatomy.

“What I thought was just a show turned out to be revolutionary.”

Grey’s Anatomy was the first TV show Rhimes ever created. And it landed like lightning. But it wasn’t just the drama, romance, or cliffhangers that made it historic — it was the representation.

“There hadn’t been a non-sitcom where two people of color could be in a room without a white character. That hadn’t happened.”

Rhimes didn’t set out to be revolutionary. But by writing real, flawed, ambitious women — who also happened to be Black, Asian, Latina — she shifted what was possible on television. Cristina Yang, Miranda Bailey, Meredith Grey: they weren’t diversity checkboxes. They were people. Surgeons. Scientists. Leaders.

And for countless young women watching, they were blueprints for who they could become.

“I meet so many young women who went to medical school because of that show… That wasn’t what I was thinking when I was writing about McDreamy and McSteamy.”

“No is a complete sentence. But so is yes.”

One of the most powerful themes in the interview is Rhimes’ relationship with the words yes and no — and how learning when to use each transformed her leadership.

Early in her career, “no” was a form of protection. As a Black woman in a white-male-dominated industry, she refused to say yes to every demand, every rewrite, every note that didn't align with her vision.

“I would say no. And so many people were desperate for their shot that they would never say no. That made me different.”

Later, it was her sister who challenged her to start saying yes to things that scared her. That “Year of Yes” became not just a bestselling book, but a personal breakthrough — one that forced Rhimes out of her comfort zone and into public life.

“Doing the thing undoes the fear.”

Now, Rhimes teaches a more nuanced philosophy: Say yes when you have something meaningful to add. Say no when it protects your peace. But always know why you’re choosing.

“If you've seen it before, don’t do it again.”

For Rhimes, reinvention isn’t optional — it’s oxygen.

She left the comfort of network television at the height of her power and moved to Netflix, long before streamers were courting showrunners with blockbuster deals. Her team was nervous. Her agent thought it was risky.

But Rhimes saw the future — and wanted to shape it.

“I wasn’t learning anything new. I knew how to make network TV. But I was watching Netflix, and I thought: I want to do what I do there.”

Since that leap, she’s created Bridgerton, launched immersive fan experiences (like the Bridgerton Balls), built a merchandise empire, and redefined what a modern media company looks like.

And throughout it all, she’s stayed loyal to one rule of storytelling — one that entrepreneurs should take to heart:

“Don’t copy. Tell the story only you can tell.”

“A leader doesn’t look one way. A leader is the one actually leading.”

Rhimes didn’t just change what stories got told. She changed who got to tell them.

From being mistaken as an assistant in meetings to creating a workplace culture built on trust, ownership, and empowerment, Rhimes has learned to lead on her own terms. She doesn't micromanage. She hires well and gets out of the way.

“If you hired someone to do a job, let them do the job.”

She leads creative people by fostering creative freedom. She leads a company by asking why before she says how. She models vulnerability, curiosity, and the willingness to say, “I don’t know.”

She also taught millions through Scandal how to manage crisis — and through Grey’s Anatomy, how to grow through mentorship: See one. Do one. Teach one.

The Rhimes Playbook for Entrepreneurs

For wantrepreneurs and early-stage founders, Shonda Rhimes’ journey offers more than inspiration — it offers actionable leadership lessons:

1. Know what you’re saying yes (or no) to — and why.

“If you walk into a negotiation without knowing your bottom line, you’ve already lost.”

2. Build your own rules — especially if no one looks like you.

“I didn’t know the rules of TV, so I made my own. That was my power.”

3. Lead with trust.

“Micromanaging kills creativity. Hire well. Then step back.”

4. Stay in the truth — even when it’s messy.

“In crisis, never lie. Stand in your truth. People can feel it.”

5. Don’t just tell stories. Create legacies.

“I wasn’t trying to start a movement. I was just writing characters like the women I knew.”