There’s a quote I heard recently from Gianpiero Petriglieri, one that stuck with me:
“You’re not a leader until people learn from you—and with you.”
That phrase hit me hard. Not because it was new, but because it captured something I had felt for a long time but never quite named.
It instantly brought me back to a pivotal moment in my own career: the day I stepped down from my role as CEO.
As I was preparing to leave, several of my closest team members came forward to share their thoughts. Among their kind words, one message kept returning:
“I loved working with you because I was always learning.”
And in that moment, I realized something I hadn’t fully grasped before:
I had influenced their lives more than I thought.
Not through strategies, decisions, or KPIs—but through the experience of learning together. Through conversations, feedback, shared struggles, and mutual growth.
Leadership, I realized, isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s not about authority or status. It’s about learning out loud.
It’s about showing up curious, vulnerable, and willing to grow—and making it safe for others to do the same.
I learned a great deal from my team.
They challenged me. They surprised me. They made me better.
The exchange wasn’t one-directional—it never is, if you’re really paying attention.
And I always tried to give back. Not by being a teacher in the formal sense, but by sharing whatever I was learning in real time—openly, honestly, and imperfectly.
Because if leadership isn’t grounded in learning, what is it grounded in?
So here’s what I’ve come to believe:
Don’t wait for a title to consider yourself a leader.
Don’t assume people follow you just because they report to you.
You become a real leader the moment people grow through their time with you.
Be generous with your experiences.
Be open about what you’re still figuring out.
And recognize the quiet influence you have every day.
Someone is learning from you—right now—even if they haven’t told you yet.
And to those who told me what our time together meant to them: thank you.
You taught me more than you know.
#Leadership #LearningCulture #PeopleFirst #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #PUROS #nOrdinaryConsulting