With age, ego fades, and something far more powerful takes its place.
When we step into leadership, we often believe that greatness lies in being the single force that drives everything forward. But, with time and experience, we discover a deeper truth: real impact happens when we bring people together, when we dissolve the "me" in favor of "we."
In life and in work, there is always the temptation to divide & conquer —to think that goals are easier met when compartmentalized, conquered piece by piece. But, in my experience, true success doesn’t come from fragmenting our efforts. It emerges from uniting and aligning everyone around a shared vision. This isn’t just about inspiring people; it’s about empowering them to take ownership to feel that the ideas are theirs. Sometimes, it’s about inception—infusing a vision so subtly, so collaboratively, that everyone around you feels it as their own.
Day-to-day, my role is less about orchestrating and more about clearing the path. It’s about being a positive lobbyist—navigating through conflicts, diffusing tensions, going from one team member to another, and reminding each person of their value and of what we can achieve together. The goal is not just to execute; it’s to inspire everyone to realize their potential. And every little win, every breakthrough, is the sum of these small moments of understanding, patience, and collective ambition.
I recently shared a moment with Victor, our Chief Investment Officer at Alpian, laughing over dinner about how, with age, the ego fades. We lose that relentless need for credit, for the biggest team, for the flashiest title. Now, the real thrill comes not from personal glory but from watching the team thrive, from those moments when I can pull away a roadblock or see an idea I planted take root and flourish in ways I never imagined.
This Sunday, let’s celebrate the moments we unite and win—not by overpowering, but by empowering. In every small, quiet win, in every shared laugh, in every challenge met with resolve, we find the heart of real leadership. Because true change isn’t just about strategy; it’s about heart, patience, and the will to see everyone around you succeed.
And, as always with the Sunday Glow, I created a song inspired by this piece. It’s a smooth jazz saxophone track that aims to capture the essence of unity and empowerment—melodic and warm, a sound to rise together.
Rise Together (Song Lyrics)
[Verse 1]
Once I believed the fire was mine, a singular light, a lone design,
But time unthreads the self’s conceit, and shows the whole—a truth replete.Through every hand, a whisper flows,
The quiet strength that only grows.[Chorus]
So rise, we rise, a woven tide,
Bound not by force, but what’s inside.
In still resolve, our voices blend,
Through silent waves, we ascend.[Verse 2]
Not every hero wields a claim, nor seeks the glow of fleeting fame,
But lifts the veil, and clears the view, to let the light of others through.In whispered steps and unseen lines,
We find our place, beyond confines.[Chorus]
So rise, we rise, a quiet fire,
Each breath a spark, each spark a choir.
Together bound, yet freely whole,
A single flame, a thousand souls.[Verse 3]
In silent tides and hidden streams, the truest strength is found unseen,
Not in the march or loud refrain, but in the hands that bear the strain.As roots entwine beneath the ground,
In quiet bonds, our power’s found.[Final Chorus]
So rise, we rise, like rivers wide,
Together strong, no ebb, no tide.
In humble grace, we come alive,
Not to conquer, but to strive.[Outro]
One voice, one light, a thread unspun,
We rise as many, we stand as one.