The Leaders Who Truly Invested in Me Had This in Common

Leaders don’t build teams. They build the people who make teams great.

I’ve worked for a lot of leaders over the course of my career—nine different leaders in the last ten years.

There’s good and bad in that.

Every time I was given a new leader, it felt like a step back. I had to prove myself again, rebuild trust, and help them see my strengths. In many ways, it was frustrating—like starting over, again and again.

But in hindsight, I see something else.

Working for different leaders gave me exposure to different leadership styles, strengths, and ways of thinking. Every leader helped shape me in a different way—some through great mentorship, others through challenges I had to navigate.

But when I look back at the leaders who truly invested in me, they all had something in common.

What the Best Leaders Did Differently

They Talked About My Development Regularly

This seems simple, but it’s surprisingly rare.

The leaders who had the biggest impact on me didn’t just mention career growth once a year in a performance review. They wove it into our regular conversations.

They asked:

• What do you want to learn next?

• What’s stretching you right now?

• Where do you want to be a year from now?

By keeping growth on the table consistently, they made sure I never got complacent.

They Helped Me Find Learning & Growth Opportunities

The best leaders didn’t just offer advice—they helped me take action.

They looked for:

• Stretch projects where I could develop a new skill.

• Mentors & connections who could offer insights beyond what they could personally teach me.

• Training & experiences that aligned with my career goals.

They saw development as a partnership, not just an expectation.

They Pushed Me Harder Than I Pushed Myself

This one wasn’t always fun at the time.

When I wanted to stay in my comfort zone, these leaders challenged me to go further.

They saw my potential before I saw it myself. They didn’t let me play it safe just because I knew I could succeed there.

They made it clear: I was going to grow, and they were going to hold me accountable.

But here’s what made the difference:

• They didn’t set me up to fail. They made sure I was supported, even when I felt stretched.

• They gave me confidence in the discomfort. At the time, I let myself get stressed about “not performing perfectly.” But looking back, I see they were teaching me something deeper: how to trust myself in uncertainty.

That was the real muscle I built—not just skill development, but resilience.

The Bottom Line: What Made These Leaders Different?

The leaders who truly invested in me did three things:

1. They talked about my growth regularly.

2. They partnered with me to find real learning opportunities.

3. They pushed me beyond my comfort zone—without letting me fall.

Not every leader does this. But the ones who do? They don’t just build teams. They build the people who make teams great.