Creating a Culture of Development Without Strings Attached
Have you ever been in traffic and let someone merge in front of you, only to feel burned when you don’t receive a wave of thanks? Or are you sad when you said good morning to a stranger who didn’t respond in kind?
I’ve developed the bad habit of expecting acknowledgment or gratitude for acts of kindness I offer others. To feel this way is paradoxical and selfish, I know. And lately I’ve been reflecting on my motivation for such “selfless” acts. Are they selfless at all? Is my desire to serve others just a way to meet my own needs?
I witness this what-I’m-doing-for-you-might-really-be-for-me dynamic in my work as well.
Across many industries, leaders are struggling to believe that investing in others will yield a worthwhile return. In the corporate world, for instance, some leaders only invest in developing their team members if such investment makes a clear, measurable impact on the bottom line. And in athletics, the rise of the transfer portal has increased player turnover, making the long-term benefit of investing in culture harder to see.
These are fair concerns, but the heart of the matter for me is this:
Leadership isn’t a transaction. It’s not a contract where investment is only made when there’s a guaranteed return.
Real leadership — the kind that leaves a mark long after titles are gone and teams have changed — chooses to invest in others. Regardless.
Develop. Pour in. Even when you’re not sure your efforts are landing. Even when you don’t know what’s next.
Who Are You Doing It For? Is your willingness to develop others tied to their response? Their gratitude? Their results?
Or are you willing to lead with open hands — investing because it’s the right thing to do?
Creating a culture of development means building an environment wherein growth is the norm, not the exception. Personal development is not reserved for high performers, future stars, or the people who “deserve it.” Rather, it’s offered freely to the people you have, at the time you have them.
Leadership is not about being thanked; it’s about being intentional.
That’s servant leadership in action.
Development Is Never Wasted
Sometimes, the people you invest in won’t get it right away. They may leave your team. They may never say thank you. They may not even realize how much you gave on their behalf.
But that doesn’t mean your investment was wasted.
Development is never wasted.
Seeds you plant today may bear fruit years from now — somewhere else, for someone else — and that fruit is still legacy.
The decision to develop someone should never be contingent on affirmation or reciprocation. That motivation is a “business deal,” not a calling.
Be a Legacy Leader
As a leader, you’re called to create an ecosystem wherein people are better because you were there — even if they never tell you so.
You’re building something bigger than loyalty. You’re modeling what it means to be for people — not just because of what they do for you, but because of who you are.
That posture — developing without demanding a return — transforms culture. That posture builds trust. It multiplies influence. And over time, it creates leaders who lead the same way: selflessly, generously, and consistently.
Lead Without the Applause
In a world where people often lead with ROI in mind, be the leader who builds into people anyway. Who waves even when no one waves back. Who develops others because to do so displays a servant heart, not a selfish agenda.
Your influence is not measured by applause: It’s measured by impact.
And some of the most powerful impacts are silent, invisible, and lasting.
Do It Anyway
Keep showing up.
Keep investing.
Keep believing in people — even when they’re not ready to believe in themselves.
Do it with no guarantee.
Do it without needing credit.
Do it because you believe in development as a way of life.
Do it anyway.
Do It Anyway was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
