A Privilege to Lead
HB Weekly Leadership Brief
Week of February 2, 2026
Last week marked my 10-year anniversary serving as the executive leader of a regional chamber of commerce here in Vermont.
When I started, I was just coming off a training and development firm built with my family. My mom was retiring, colleagues had moved on, and I was looking for my next chapter. I was 30, full of energy, and - perhaps boldly - promised that together we would do big things with the chamber. I believed then, as I do now, that organizations are at their best when they reflect the strength, creativity, and determination of the people that make them up.
At our Annual Membership Meeting, I shared a short poem I recently came across — one that captured how I feel about the past decade and this moment of leadership:
What a privilege it is to be tired from the work you once begged the universe for.
What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by the growth you used to dream about.
What a privilege to be challenged by a life you built on purpose.
What a privilege to outgrow the things you once settled for.
And it’s true. Even when the work has been hard, relationships have stalled, cash flow has been stretched, numbers haven’t landed where we hoped, businesses have closed, and friends and colleagues have passed - I am still struck by what a privilege it has been to serve this region and its people.
So today, I’ll say it again - to you - thank you.
Reader. Client. Colleague. Friend.
Thank you for the privilege to serve you.
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
— William Shakespeare
“The question is not how to survive, but how to build a company that thrives far beyond the presence of any single leader.”
— Jim Collins
By the Numbers
Leadership can feel heavy, but it is also rare. And profoundly relied upon.
Only 10–15% of the workforce holds formal leadership roles according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet decisions made by this small group directly influence the daily experience, well-being, and performance of the other 85–90%. Leadership is not common—it’s entrusted.
70% of employee engagement is driven by the direct manager. According to research from Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report, how people experience work is shaped less by the organization and more by the person they report to—you.
Deloitte Insights, Global Human Capital Trends indicates that employees who trust their leaders are 76% more engaged and 50% less likely to leave. Leadership isn’t just operational; it’s stabilizing. In uncertain times, people don’t look first to policies or org charts; they look to people.
94% of employees say they would stay longer if leaders invested in their growth according to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report. Development isn’t a perk—it’s a signal that leadership sees people not just as workers, but as humans with a future.
A Quick Consult with Matt
Leadership is a privilege, but it can also be a drain. Not because it’s wrong or misaligned, but because leadership requires presence, judgment, emotional regulation, and decision-making long after others have clocked out.
Over time, even meaningful leadership can leave us running on fumes. That doesn’t mean you’re failing; it means you’re human. One of the quiet responsibilities of leadership is knowing when it’s time to refuel.
Burnout is rarely about workload; it’s about disconnection from purpose. When leaders lose sight of why they were trusted in the first place - why people look to them, rely on them, and believe in them - the work starts to feel transactional instead of vocational. Refueling leadership begins by reconnecting to the privilege itself: Someone trusted me with this. Someone believed I could carry this moment, this team, this organization forward.
Leadership is built on trust, belief, and growth — not just execution. Trust is the fuel that allows leadership to move at speed. Belief, both yours and others’, is what steadies leadership when conditions are uncertain. And growth, when done intentionally, reminds leaders that they are not meant to stay static or alone. Leaders don’t need to have all the answers; they need the courage to keep learning, reflecting, and recalibrating.
So this week, I’ll offer a simple coaching invitation: treat your leadership like something worth sustaining. Pause long enough to remember where you started, who you serve, and why the responsibility landed with you. Revisit the standards you care about. Name the growth still ahead of you. Leadership is not just something you give away; it’s something you must periodically restore.
And doing that isn’t indulgent.
It’s responsible stewardship of the privilege you’ve been given.
Weekly Reflection
Set aside 10–20 quiet minutes this week and journal on the following:
Where did your leadership journey begin — and what version of you stepped into it?
Where are you today? What responsibilities, pressures, and privileges do you now carry?
Looking ahead 3-5 years, what kind of leader do you want people to say you became - and why?
Direct Application: This Week’s Reps
Leadership is built through repetition. Try these three reps before Friday:
Take a walk and remember where you began. Remember when you first got the leadership position. Who believed in you? What a privilege it was and still is!
Name the privilege out loud. Thank a colleague or team member for the responsibility they carry.
Coach instead of rescue. When someone struggles, guide with questions - not answers.
Model Spotlight: Leadership Growth Lattice
Leadership growth is no longer a ladder — it’s a lattice.
The Leadership Growth Lattice reframes development as multidirectional: skill-building, lateral movement, mentorship, community leadership, and personal growth all matter. Organizations that embrace this model create opportunity without forcing promotion — and retain talent because people can grow without leaving.
Explore the model and case study here:
If you want people to stay, give them room to grow.
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