Zach Mercurio, an author and researcher on purposeful leadership, discusses the importance of making people feel they matter at work. He emphasizes that recognition often comes from small moments rather than big rewards. Mercurio highlights that leadership behavior accounts for half of employees' feelings of worthiness and outlines a simple three-step process for leaders: observe, note, and share. He also touches on the impact of genuine connections and the significance of acknowledging others to foster a meaningful workplace culture.
38:38
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Parenting Through Connection
Zach Mercurio shifted from a transactional to relational approach with his son regarding tablet time.
This change fostered meaningful conversation and connection instead of conflict and compliance.
insights INSIGHT
The Value of Small Moments
People recall small moments of being seen, thanked, or supported as what makes them feel they matter.
Most organizational interactions are transactional, lacking the deeper care that fosters connection.
insights INSIGHT
Leadership's Impact on Mattering
Leader behavior accounts for about half of employees' feelings of mattering and meaningfulness at work.
Feeling that one matters is foundational for engagement, safety, and access to support.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Start with Why', Simon Sinek introduces the concept of 'The Golden Circle', which consists of 'Why', 'How', and 'What'. He argues that successful leaders and organizations start with their purpose or 'Why', which inspires loyalty and trust. Sinek uses examples such as Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers to illustrate how this approach can lead to significant influence and success. The book emphasizes the importance of leadership and purpose in inspiring others and achieving long-term success.
Zach Mercurio: The Power of Mattering
Zach Mercurio is an author, researcher, and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership, mattering, meaningful work, and positive organizational psychology. He teaches a course with past guest Simon Sinek on how leaders can show everyone how they matter. He is the author of The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance*.
When you ask people what mattered in their careers, few cite the bonus, or the stock options, or the employee of the month award. What they do talk about are the times they were remembered, supported, thanked, and seen. In this conversation, Zach and I discuss how to do that better.
Key Points
When people are asked about when they mattered, they recall small moments of being remembered, helped, thanked, or seen.
The behavior of a leader accounts for half of the increased feelings of mattering and meaningfulness at work.
Rather than identifying with a person’s behavior, identify first with the person.
Look for the positive traits in a person or identify something that you love.
Music is the space between the notes. In our informal interactions, we have the choice to turn against, turn away, or turn towards.
Leaders who notice people well consistently follow three steps: observe, note, and share.
Are you noticing people communicating in such a way that feels boring or robotic to stakeholders – or perhaps just losing them in the data? David Hutchens, one of our expert partners, helps leaders and organizations develop a more human, engaging voice through the power of storytelling.
Coaching for Leaders 
