I was on holiday when I started thinking about this. Standing somewhere beautiful, present with the people who matter most, I found myself asking what we are actually working towards.
I was reminded of this while on holiday with my family; they took this photo of me having a moment to pause and reflect.
After leaving my last role, something became very clear to me: every role we hold is temporary. Organisations continue to evolve long after we move on, and we each contribute for a period of that journey.
The pull of leadership
For many of us in leadership, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on the work. Building teams. Solving problems. Delivering results. That focus matters. It’s what makes the difference between a good leader and a great one.
But moments like this, standing somewhere beautiful, present with the people who matter most, remind us of something bigger.
The other part of our legacy is the relationships we build. The time we invest in our families. The example we set about what truly matters.
Stepping away gives perspective
Sometimes stepping away from a role gives you the perspective to rebalance.
I’ve spent years pouring myself into building teams and driving transformation. I don’t regret any of it. But in the space that followed my last role, I found something I hadn’t expected: room to breathe, to be a dad without distraction, to support my wife the way she deserves to be supported.
That space has been one of the most valuable things I’ve experienced in a long time.
What are we really working towards?
It’s a question I’ve been sitting with recently.
Not as a criticism of ambition; I’m still deeply ambitious. But as a genuine inquiry. Because if the work is only for the work’s sake, something is missing.
The best version of what I want to build professionally is in service of something bigger. A life that feels whole. A family that feels seen. A legacy that outlasts any org chart.
“What are we really working towards?”
I don’t think there’s one answer. But I think asking the question honestly, regularly, is how we make sure we’re building something worth leaving behind.
