Wes Young is one of my trusted financial advisors. Wes adds inspirational quotes to his signature block. Today, he wrote an Oswald Chambers quote:
“It’s not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by a man, much more than his activities, has the lasting influence.”
Given the fact that Chambers was Scottish, I first thought I might need a wee dram to better understand the quote. Then I realized he was an Evangelical Baptist minister, So I decided to more deeply reflect on the quote from my experience as a professional executive coach.
Not long ago, I was working with two senior leaders faced with the same difficult challenge: restructuring their teams. Both made the same decision. Yet their impact was radically different. One leader approached the moment with empathy, integrity, and kindness — asking for input, listening to concerns, being transparent about the “why,” and showing trust in his people’s ability to create innovative solutions and galvanize the team to adapt them. The other delivered the same “why” and directed the team to find a solution. There was no warmth or openness, the second leader focused only on efficiency.
On paper, both leaders achieved the same result: the teams were restructured. But months later, the teams remembered little about the decision itself. What stayed with them was the atmosphere their leaders created. One group felt valued and energized; the other, discouraged and resentful.
I think this is what Oswald Chambers meant when he wrote: “It’s not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by a man, much more than his activities, has the lasting influence.”
Too often, leadership is measured only by results — the bottom line, the numbers, the outcomes. But when “results” are the only metric, leaders may slip into an “ends justify the means” mentality. At Second Mountain Coaching, we believe the means matter just as much as the ends. Who you are while leading — your character, values, and presence — is inseparable from the outcomes you create.
When leaders embody their organizations shared values, they not only achieve results, they achieve them in a way that strengthens people, relationships, and culture. Strategies may change, projects may fade, but people never forget how a leader made them feel.
The lesson is simple but profound: what you accomplish matters, but how you accomplish it is what transforms lives.
Reflective Question to ask yourself
“How do the means by which you achieve results reflect — or contradict — your personal and organizational values?”
