greatness 💡

“Greatness is in the agency of others.”

This is a phrase I picked up from Scott Galloway on The Prof G podcast, one of the few I follow religiously.

It’s been rattling around in my head as I think about the projects and priorities I have for 2025, and I’ve decided to make it my mantra for the year.

So what does it mean?

At its core, this idea challenges the belief that greatness is achieved through individual effort alone. Instead, impact is a result of empowering and enabling those around you.

It’s about defining a shared goal, selecting the right people, and then giving them the autonomy to act and succeed in their own way. Their actions and contributions amplify your own leadership and results.

I have to admit, this has been a hard lesson for me. I’m Type A. At times my behavior skews toward taking personal action in an effort to control the outcome.

But the word “agency” has a powerful meaning. According to Merriam-Webster, it’s “a person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved.”

In leadership, agency is about exerting influence and achieving outcomes indirectly through others. It’s not about micromanaging every detail; it’s about creating conditions for others to thrive and act autonomously to drive success.

Here are four practical ways we can create a sense of agency in others:

1. Agree on the Outcome, Not the Inputs: Focus on the “what,” not the “how.” When you dictate the “how,” people will do exactly what you say — and no more. But when you agree upon a desired outcome and let them figure out the “how,” they’ll often come up with creative and innovative solutions you couldn’t fathom.

2. Put Your Faith in People: I’ve learned that when I pick the right people, place my full trust in them, and focus on outcomes rather than inputs, they often surprise me — not just by meeting expectations, but by exceeding them in ways I couldn’t have even imagined.

3. Coach, Don’t Intervene: Coaching is about asking great questions, not giving directives. It’s about guiding people to think critically and independently, rather than solving problems for them. Some books that have shaped my approach to coaching include:

   • Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John C. Maxwell

   • The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

   • Humble Inquiry by Edgar Schein

4. Be Okay with Failure: If you’re going to delegate, sometimes things won’t go as planned. And that’s okay. You have to be okay with, and accept, failure from time to time. It’s part of the learning process (here’s the science behind that). What’s important is knowing what can and can’t be delegated. Critical decisions may still need your involvement, but I guarantee there are fewer of those than you think. Trust the people you’ve chosen and let them learn from their mistakes.

One of my goals for 2025 is to incorporate these behaviors into my routines more fully.

With my family, by giving my kids more autonomy and opportunities to make decisions. In my business dealings, with the people that I work alongside each day. And even in my friendships.

For me, this is an intentional shift, but I believe it’s the key to unlocking greater impact — for myself and for those around me.

How about you? How will you empower others in your life and work in 2025?

What’s already working for you, and where have you failed? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

(Hit “Reply” and share.)

Happy New Year 🎆

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