I had the pleasure of catching up with my good friend Jared a few days ago. We originally met when he joined Ohio Krav Maga many years ago. We trained together often and over the years, like many training partners do, we developed a good friendship.
We met at his work to train for a bit. Just have fun, no expectations.
Afterwards his father, Rhett, met us to grab some lunch. Rhett is someone that has mentored me many times over the years. A very wise and generous man. Funny as hell too hah!
I can often count on him to drop a one liner that hits home.
During conversation about growth and life he said:
“A leaders job is to create and nourish a culture of people that match the vision. It’s not about meetings, and marketing strategies. It’s about finding good people, leading good people, and taking care of those people.”
This is something that has been true throughout my life. I think about the people that I was always most loyal to and worked hardest for, and they didn’t just pay me well – actually, more often than not, they couldn’t pay me well if they wanted to.
They did however build me up. Educated me. Mentored me. Took care of me during hard times, both financially and emotionally. We worked hard and we laughed harder.
With those people, we did some amazing things.
That is something I have tried to continue to do moving forward with my people.
It is something I believe is overlooked by those trying to meet their goals.
Our metrics are off. We tend to judge our path by how many hours we put in, how much money is in the bank account, and how many followers we have.
In my experience, the most impactful, fulfilling, and also profitable ventures I have been a part of were rooted in a good culture led by a person that genuinely cared about the vision and the people that create that vision.
Whether you and to be a better spouse, coach, business owner, parent, etc… Imagine what you could accomplish if you focused on fostering the culture of your environment.
Food for thought.
Be good, train hard, stay safe
-aaron
Aaron Jannetti 