This month two of our co-workers were promoted – Matt Rompala to President and Munyette Moore to COO. It’s a big deal. They have worked incredibly hard to bring our company to a new place while adhering to our core values and putting people before profits. I’m incredibly grateful for their leadership.
As my team worked on the announcement, I pondered why we have titles and when they serve us and when they don’t. Titles can be a helpful way of explaining one’s responsibilities and the business’ hierarchy. We sent a message to our clients to clarify Matt’s and Munyette’s new roles.
When I was in college, I was on the taekwondo team and our Korean instructor explained hierarchy this way: “The hierarchy (he pronounced it higher-archy) must support the lowerarchy!” HA! Not exactly right, grammatically, but oh so true to me. His message was that the more experienced athletes were to guide and help the newer ones. The type of leader I try to be and ask others around me to focus on becoming is one of support for their co-workers, regardless of title.
We’ve all experienced the leader, the one with the power, who uses it in positive and negative ways. I’ve never been comfortable with leaders, already in a privileged position, who want more: the biggest office, the special parking space, the most flexible work hours. Isn’t it enough to be in a leadership position, to have the title?
As I watch the leaves change from green to beautiful golds and reds before browning and falling, I am reminded that we have a limited amount of time in all the roles we play. Our titles are not permanent; but how we use them, how we serve and interact with others, how we make others feel – those remain as memories and reflections long after our role has ended.
If I’m lucky enough to have grandchildren, it is my great hope that they will remember me for how I made them feel: valued, unique, important, but not as CEO or Owner. At the end of the day, it’s how we lead – not with what title – that has the biggest impact on those around us.
(This, and all my posts, are created from scratch and without any AI tool. Just sayin’.)
– Becky Sharpe, CEO
