Titles are temporary, Trust is global

For a long time, I thought leadership was about a specific "label" or a rank you achieved to be taken seriously. I lived under the impression that authority was something handed to you by a certificate or a promotion. But recently, I’ve been reflecting on a moment that changed my perspective forever.

When I was at Walmart Business and it was time to build a design team from "zero to one," I didn’t start by looking at resumes. I started by looking at my life.

The 15-Year Phone Call

I reached out to people I had met throughout my 15+ years in design—from the high-pressure advertising agencies where I started my career to the early Product Design roles where I was first mentored and coached. These were people who knew me long before I had a "big" title.

The most humbling moment? One of my own former mentors—someone who coached me when I was just starting out—trusted me enough to join the team.

They didn't join because of the Walmart nameplate, and they didn't join because of my rank. They joined because of the relationship we had built over a decade. They had my back because of the "heart" we put into our work years prior. As the team at Leadership First says:

"A title can command compliance, but only a heart can inspire commitment." Compliance ends when the contract does. Commitment—the kind that makes a mentor follow their student—is what lasts.

The Best Team I’ve Ever Known

That team at Walmart Business was, hands down, the best I have ever been a part of. We did amazing things for the company, but more importantly, we did amazing things for each other.

Today, we are all dispersed. Due to shifting "return to office" policies, we live globally and work for different companies. But the connection hasn't broken. We still keep in touch, still support each other, and still share that bond. The office is gone, the titles have changed, but the trust remains.

The Human Element in a Digital Age

In this era where we rely so heavily on "artificial intelligence" and digital tools to bridge gaps, we often focus on the tech that makes us faster. But no AI can replicate the 15 years of trust I built with those designers.

My "co-intelligence" helps me articulate these thoughts today and refine my delivery, but the influence came from being a human first and a "boss" second.

The Takeaway

Don't just aim to be a leader with a title; aim to be a leader people will answer the phone for ten years from now. Your legacy isn't the rank you achieved—it's the lives you touched and the people who still have your back long after the office lights go out.

Lead with your heart, and the people won't just work for you; they will follow you. - chrix