Everything in my life—the special experience of growing up with an identical twin brother; the relationships with family members, teachers, coaches, colleagues, and mentors that have made me who I am; the lessons I’ve learned on the athletic field; the work I’ve done in my professional capacity; my involvement with some wonderful non-profit organizations; my religious beliefs—everything in my life has taught me that no one succeeds alone. We are definitely “all in this together.”

That said, I also believe that each of us has the power to help move the ball down the field. Each of us can make a difference. As Robert Kennedy once said, “Few of us have the greatness to bend history itself. But all of us have the opportunity to change a small portion of events.”  You are the CEO of the organization you lead, no matter how large or how small it is, and in that sense you have the power and the opportunity to make a difference. In that sense,  what you do—indeed, everything you do—counts.

How you treat the people in your organization…whether you can count them on one hand or they number in the thousands…will determine how they feel about coming to work every day and affect their willingness to do their very best when they get there. Engagement definitely requires the commitment of those at the top of the house, but it gets built every day by leaders at the “local level.”