Great leaders don’t build businesses, they build people. And those people, the teammates, build the business.
We’ve all heard this before, but what are we actually doing about it?
The truth is simple: inside every teammate is a better one, waiting to be developed, recognized, and unleashed.
Yet most managers are too busy to spend time developing. We talk about “human capital” as if people are assets on a balance sheet, but the best leaders know the real investment happens through time, connection, and coaching, one teammate at a time.
1:1 Time: The Leadership Multiplier
When I coach executives and sales leaders, one of the first things I ask is: “When was the last time you spent meaningful 1:1 time with each teammate?” Not a performance review. Not a project update. I mean time where you’re fully present, listening, asking questions, understanding what drives them.
These moments are gold. They communicate, “You matter.” And when a teammate knows they matter, they bring their best self to work. In my experience, 30 focused minutes of authentic connection can do more for engagement and performance than a month’s worth of emails and metrics.
Know Three Personal Things
If you want to lead people, you have to know them. I encourage leaders to learn at least three personal things about each teammate. It could be their kids’ names, their hobbies, or their dream vacation.
This isn’t small talk, it’s leadership. Leadership is listenership. When you care enough to know what’s important to someone outside of work, they’ll care more about what’s important to you inside of work. It builds trust, and trust drives performance. People don’t quit companies, they quit bosses who don’t care.
Self-Evaluation: The Mirror Moment
Growth doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by reflection. Ask your teammates to evaluate themselves regularly. A simple framework I love is Start–Stop–Continue:
- What should you start doing to be more effective?
- What should you stop doing that’s getting in your way?
- What should you continue doing because it’s working?
This process invites ownership. Instead of waiting for the boss to hand out feedback, teammates become active participants in their own growth. Over time, this self-awareness becomes the foundation of a high-performance culture.
From Teammate to Champion
The best teams I’ve seen don’t just have good teammates, they have teammates who are getting better. And that doesn’t happen by luck. It happens because someone, usually a leader, takes the time to coach, to care, and to challenge.
So here’s the challenge for you:
This week, pick three teammates. Schedule a genuine 1:1 with each. Ask them about their goals, their obstacles, their wins. Learn something new about their life. Walk through a quick Start–Stop–Continue together.
Do it again next week. Then again the week after that.
Before long, you’ll notice what I’ve seen for decades: when you invest in making each teammate a better one, your whole organization becomes unstoppable.
If you want a world-class team, it starts with one simple investment: time, connection, and coaching — one teammate at a time.