Every Role Matters
Don’t just say it. Show Them You Mean It.
People know whether you truly value their role.
A key part of being a trusted leader is showing respect for every member of the team. One of the most practical ways to do that is to make sure each person understands exactly how their role contributes to team success.
Does everyone on your team clearly understand their role? Or do you assume they know because it is obvious to you?
Have you ever sat down and asked someone to describe their role in their own words and explain why it matters?
When you do, listen first. Don’t immediately teach, coach, correct, or persuade. Their answer will tell you a lot about how clearly they understand where they fit, what they believe is expected of them, and how they see their contribution to the team.
Then ask a few more questions.
Why is your role important?
What do you need to perform at your best?
What gets in the way?
What should you be able to expect from the rest of the team?
And what can the team expect from you when you fully own your role?
Great teams do not win championships only because of the star players.
They become champions because every player, stars and supporting cast alike, believe that their contribution matters.
I learned an important lesson about that with the Blue Angels.
For years, the Blue Angel jet demonstration pilots wore one color flight suit while the support officers wore another. We said the right words: “Everyone’s role is important. We’re one team.”
But the truth was that many of the support officers felt like second-class citizens. Occasionally I'd overhear one of them tell of an airshow reception where a parent with a youngster would approach for an autograph and then veer off when they realized they were not a pilot.
And there was another undeniable truth: we could not accomplish our mission without their hard work and contribution.
We were saying one thing and signaling another. We weren’t walking our talk.
So we changed the uniform policy so all officers wore the same color flight suit. It was a small change in one sense. But symbols matter. The message was simple: we are one team, and every role is important.
That lesson applies far beyond the Blue Angels.
People pay attention to what leaders say, but they pay even closer attention to what leaders do. They notice who gets recognized, whose input is sought, who gets access, who receives development, who is trusted with responsibility, and whose contribution is taken for granted.
High-Trust Leaders do more than tell people their role is important. They make sure everyone understands exactly what their role is and why it matters. They give people the training, tools, and support they need to succeed. They expect each person to own their responsibilities. And they recognize the contribution of every member of the team, not just the most visible members.
Respect becomes real when people can feel it in the way the team operates.
Be a High-Trust Leader. Make sure every person on the team knows: My role matters. My contribution matters. I matter.