Deciding What Matters

There’s a question I’ve found myself asking over the years.

Not as a business leader. Simply as a person.

“When I look back over my career, how will I decide whether it mattered?”

It can be an uncomfortable question. Because it’s very easy to answer with numbers.

Revenue. Profit. Shareholder returns. Those things all matter, and I don’t dismiss them for a moment. But what I find myself remembering most is people.

I remember conversations. I remember moments.

An employee saying they loved working at the company. A young person who became more confident. A customer saying we had earnt their trust.

Those memories have stayed with me.

There is a quote by the famous writer and social activist, Maya Angelou, that depicts these thoughts beautifully:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Leadership leaves an emotional footprint. Long after the details disappear.

 Long after we step down from any leadership role if someone says:

“He helped me become a better person.”

Then perhaps our leadership continues, through them. And isn’t that one of the most extraordinary things about leadership? Its influence outlives us.

When you think about your own life you can probably remember someone who believed in you before you believed in yourself?

Perhaps it was a teacher, a coach, your parents or a manager. Where you worked.

That belief changes people. Sometimes for the rest of their lives. I’ve always thought, what an extraordinary privilege that is. Business gives us opportunities to do that every single day.

One of the greatest compliments I ever received had nothing to do with business performance. An employee once said to me,

“I’ve become a different person since working here.” I still remember how that made me feel.

I sometimes hear people say that leading in this way makes organisations less competitive. My experience has been the exact opposite.

When people feel trusted, they contribute more. When people know they can speak honestly, organisations become smarter, if for no other reason than the organisation has more ideas to choose from.

It’s hard to imagine how much intelligence remains hidden in organisations. Not because people lack ideas, but because they don’t always feel invited to share them.

Leadership isn’t simply about providing direction. Sometimes, it’s about releasing potential. And potential is everywhere, waiting to be released.