Do You Know Your Impact?
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
Last summer, I reconnected with a former boss I had not seen in over a decade. He was one of my first mentors, whom I had worked alongside early in my career as a PR professional. I always considered him a great teacher, but as time has passed, I've realized what an outsized effect his mentorship had on my approach to leadership. I felt drawn to tell him—not in a text, which has become our typical way of checking in, but face to face.
I drove 90 minutes north to meet him. We took a tour of the sports complex where 25 years earlier, I had worked during its groundbreaking, which was now thriving as a global baseball facility and stadium. So much had changed physically, but the mentor I remembered was just as kind-hearted as he had been many years before. As we toured, he introduced me to many of the young college graduates working on-site that day, some of whom now held the role I once did.
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It was the summer of 2001, and I was 22. A recent college graduate with a full-time job, trying to navigate a big opportunity, among an even bigger set of personalities. During my first month on the job, I was invited to travel with the organization to a conference where many high-profile athletes and individuals would be present. On the first evening of the event, as a small group of guests gathered for cocktails, one of the event’s VIPs and a close friend of my boss made derogatory and offensive comments about my body—loud enough that my boss and several other guests could hear.
I was mortified. Here I was, supposed to be acting my most professionally in this unfamiliar environment, and I had been made into a joke by one of the most important individuals at the event. I was young. I didn’t know what to do. So, I exited the room quickly and returned to my hotel room to start packing.
My boss didn’t miss a beat. Within the hour, he sat with me and explained that this individual would be asked to leave the event. He didn’t mince words: the actions he had just seen were unacceptable—not even for a VIP—and this organization had no room for that bad behavior. He saw me as his equal, though I felt far from it, and swiftly addressed the situation so I would feel comfortable enough to stay in this new environment. And he kept his word.
Since that day, I’ve worked to model Bill in similar situations when I see employees or colleagues being mistreated.
In the book What Matters Most and Why, a book of daily reflections by Jim Manney, the author writes, “We’re not aware of much of the good we’ve done—the ways we’ve encouraged others, inspired them, calmed them, stood by them, influenced them for the better. We’ve forgotten it or never knew about it in the first place.”
Bill didn’t remember the details of that event. But I didn’t need him to. I just needed him to know how his swift and careful actions set the tone for so much good that followed.
Bottom Line: You may not think your actions influence someone else’s path, but they do. Pause today and consider someone who has encouraged, inspired, or stood by you in a difficult moment. And reach out to them to say thank you. They may not even be aware of their impact on your life.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
