It was the end of the night

It was the end of the night.

I was sipping a cocktail when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

I looked up.

An old familiar face said with a big smile, “Hey boss!”

It was years since I had seen him.

But it felt like it was yesterday.

When running my concert promotions business, I gave this then 21-year-old his first hospitality job.

Now a decade later, he was managing a top hospitality group.

We caught up.

He shared stories of his development and recent successes.

I was proud and happy for him.

Throughout my career, I’ve had many members of my team go on to successful careers in a variety of fields.

And I’ve been blessed with many other similar encounters like this one.

Something is fulfilling about seeing something in someone that they don’t yet see in (or know about) themselves.

As leaders, our responsibility is to provide a platform for learning and development.

We push when they need it.

Trust and listen without judgment.

And celebrate with them.

The true measure of leadership success is the number of people who, because of you, become better than who they were.

I share this story not to take credit for their success.

I may have opened a door, but it was their talent and grit that walked them through it.

Who’s door is waiting for you to open?