Strong leadership is often associated with the decisions people see, yet some of the most influential leadership happens in everyday interactions that receive little attention.
I learned much of what I know about leadership by watching how others treat the people they work with, particularly when it comes to giving employees room to take responsibility.
Today, those lessons shape my leadership at Concierge and create opportunities for my team to grow.
Early in my career, I worked under Todd Archer, whose leadership style taught me the value of trusting employees to do their jobs.
Rather than involving himself in every decision, Archer gave people the freedom to take responsibility for their work. What stayed with me was Archer's willingness to trust the people he hired.
This approach required considerable restraint, especially when a leader might have handled a situation differently.
That includes allowing people to experience success and failure on their own.
Leaders can be tempted to stay closely involved, particularly when they have a preferred management style. Constant oversight, however, can limit an employee's ability to develop judgment and take ownership of their decisions.
Giving employees room to work also allows them to introduce ideas their leaders might not have considered.
I also acknowledge that I once placed too much emphasis on demonstrating my own knowledge.
In trying to establish credibility, I sometimes missed opportunities to learn from more experienced colleagues.
"You don't know it all" is the advice I would give my younger self.
My old pastor also reinforced the importance of recognizing value in others, even when their personalities or viewpoints differ.
For leaders, recognizing the value in every person means making room for perspectives they may not have considered, even when they disagree.
Every person you come in contact with can bring value into your life. You don't have to always be the one thinking you're going to add value to theirs.
Recognizing value in others also means finding ways to support and encourage them.
I see this example in Barnabas, a biblical figure I admire for consistently encouraging people while working behind the scenes.
He was one of the most effective leaders in Scripture because he was a constant encourager to everybody he met, and I want to encourage others because that's how you lead.
My father had this quality, too. Growing up, I saw the respect my father showed family members and how that treatment remained consistent over the years, which shaped my expectations for workplace relationships.
At Concierge, employees are a work family, and I believe the same respect shown in personal relationships should extend to colleagues, particularly given how much time people spend working together.
Trust and encouragement are important, but I also believe leaders have a responsibility to maintain high standards.
Employees need room to make decisions, but they also benefit from clear expectations about the quality of their work.
A former boss, James Avery, exemplified that perspective by refusing to accept work simply because it was sufficient to get by, which was foundational for my later work with teams and clients.
Holding employees to high standards also means helping them develop the skills to meet those expectations. I learned the importance of preparation from my father, who often reminded me, "Opportunity is the result of preparation."
Leaders can help employees prepare by sharing their experience and giving them opportunities to develop their judgment. That preparation also makes it possible to trust employees with greater responsibility as they grow.
The lessons I remember most came from people who may not have realized they were teaching me at all, which in turn gave me examples to draw from when I eventually faced similar responsibilities.
For anyone in a leadership role, this is a reminder that employees learn as much from observing behavior as they do from receiving guidance. They notice how leaders respond to every situation, and those experiences influence decisions employees make later in their careers, including how they treat others when they take on leadership responsibilities themselves.
Much of that work happens without recognition, but its influence can continue long after an individual interaction.