We hear it all the time: the best investment we can make is in ourselves; our health, our skills, our growth. There’s only one of us, after all. But as a business leader, there’s another investment that’s just as crucial, one I learned the hard way: investing in the people on your team.
When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was laser-focused on driving results. I believed that leadership meant having the vision, making the tough decisions, and pushing hard to achieve company goals. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I wasn’t investing in the most important thing: my team.
My biggest leadership mistake? Not considering the human aspect of work.
I was so fixated on growth, profits, and productivity that I failed to see my employees as people with their own lives, needs, and wants. I didn’t weigh in on what was required of me as a leader beyond the usual corporate jargon and high-level goals.
It’s embarrassing to admit now, but back then, I thought if I worked hard enough and gave my team the right tools, they’d just show up, do their jobs, and everything would fall into place. I was wrong.
I didn’t lead them. I expected them to follow. And the truth is, people don’t just follow because of a paycheck or a well-defined task list. At least, not for long. They follow because they believe in the mission and feel invested in it because they know their leader has their back. And, more than that, they want to feel seen and heard.
The Human Aspect of Leadership: We’re all humans leading humans
Looking back, I see now that leadership isn’t just about being the visionary or making the calls from the top. It’s about leading humans. Leading people who have families, personal struggles, dreams, and desires outside of their jobs. Once I started seeing my team as the humans they are, everything shifted. The relationship wasn’t just about the work. It became about building trust, empathy, and mutual respect.
Here’s the truth I had to learn: leadership isn’t a top-down dynamic where you just give orders. It’s about alignment. Aligning your company’s goals with the personal goals of the people you lead. When you invest in your team as individuals, they’ll start investing in you. And that’s when you see real change.
I talk about this in All In, but it wasn’t always this way for me. At first, I didn’t understand how much time, effort, and intentionality had to go into building those kinds of relationships. I was too caught up in the notion that business was about getting stuff done. But I realized, that the more I got to know my people, really got to know them, the more they would show up, not just for the company, but for me as, guess what? A human. Not just a boss who signs the checks for punching a time clock.
Investing in your team: It’s a two-way street
My evolution as a leader truly began with the help of Kelsey Ayers, the president of our company. Watching her lead our team was transformative for me. I saw her take extra time out of her busy schedule to meet with each employee individually. When she and I would have meetings, she knew what each person was about. I mean from their kids to their grandparents to their house-buying-travel-dreaming-loving selves. Kelsey knew so much about the people who worked with us. What sorcery was that?
I mean it when I say that Kelsey’s example led me to my own transformation as a leader. Her influence created a deeper understanding that leadership is about investing in people. And that doesn’t just mean giving them a paycheck or a title. It means showing them you’re invested in their growth, success, and well-being. When you do that, they’ll start investing in you and the business, too.
When I started to go all in on my team with Kelsey’s help, I started with focusing on individual development, aligning their goals with mine, and creating an environment where they could thrive. There was more buy-in. There was more energy. There was more trust. My team wasn’t just working for me anymore; they were working with me. And that made all the difference.
When you invest in your team’s success, they’ll invest in yours. They’ll become more engaged, more motivated, and more committed to helping you achieve your vision because they feel part of that vision, too. It’s a symbiotic relationship where everyone wins.
What this looks like: A shift in mindset
My shift in leadership wasn’t an overnight transformation. It was a slow and intentional process of learning that leadership isn’t just about the leader. For someone who’s all about serving, it’s ironic that I hadn’t realized this sooner. Leadership isn’t about being the boss. It’s about how you serve others. As a leader, my role isn’t just to command or control. My job is to engage, nurture, guide, and empower the people around me. And this meant I had to understand what they needed, listen to their challenges, and offer real support, not just in their work but in their lives.
When you go all in on your people, you create a team that is truly aligned with the company’s mission. You stop seeing your team as employees who just execute tasks, and start seeing them as partners who are working alongside you toward shared goals. That’s where the magic happens.
It’s not just for a day
When you invest in your team, it’s a long-term strategy that benefits not just the company, but everyone involved. When your team feels supported and aligned with your goals, they perform better. The company becomes a place where they want to be – not just a place they have to be. This doesn’t just impact internal operations. It affects your customers, too. A team that feels valued and supported will show up with more passion and commitment to serving your customers.
The ripple effect of investing in your people extends far beyond the office. It touches everything your company does. And that’s where real growth happens – growth that isn’t just about numbers, but about building something meaningful.
Your evolution as a leader
I encourage you to think about your leadership journey. Are you truly all in on your team? Please remember the lesson I had to learn the hard way: when you go all in on your people, they will go all in for you. And when they do, there’s nothing your business can’t accomplish.
I am all in on your journey, too. I hope you feel I have served you in a way that’s made you feel seen and supported in your entrepreneurship.
I’m wishing you massive success and happiness.
-Mike
PS – If you’re ready to dive deeper into the All In mindset and learn how to align your goals with your team’s for lasting success, pick up a copy of my book. It’s available as an audiobook, so you can listen while you work—because leadership doesn’t have to be done alone.
