June 29, 2026

Jeff Henderson states, “Let’s be people known for who and what we’re for.”  He continued, "My favorite definition of the word for is ‘to be in favor of.’”

Imagine a world where people are in favor of one another – in our homes, communities, and workplaces. It sounds so simple. It’s also so very rare. To be a leader with this influence, you choose to be someone who wants more for people than from them, desiring the best without yourself in the equation.

Each of us is either a plus or a minus in the lives of others. We add or subtract it. We give or take. We either make people feel like more and that they can do more, or we make them feel like less, and we undermine them. Our influence is never neutral—it strengthens or weakens the people around you.

Continually work to be positive and add value. The most basic way to do this is to affirm people by telling and showing them you value them. If we find and focus on their best, we will connect with them.

Leaders who create ripples worth being around always prioritize connecting over correcting. If we find and focus on people’s worst, we will want to correct them. But if we find and focus on their best, we will connect with them. People grow into the conversations they have been around. Speak affirming words to others, and you will see them respond positively, starting within your home and extending outward from there.

When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as what they should be, they will become what they should be. The first and most important step towards success is the feeling that we can succeed. Believing in others builds their lives. It helps them see the possibility in themselves. And when they see the possibilities, those possibilities can become realities.

If you look for the best in others, tell them you believe in them, and follow through by supporting them with further encouragement, you will be amazed by how most people rise to meet your positive expectations.

Intentionally Own It! What growth does this message inspire me to embrace, and why does it matter? When I embrace it, who am I becoming, and what value does this add to my life and to others?

Adapted from High Road Leadership