Welcome to The Concrete Leader Weekly — a weekly leadership and personal growth newsletter where I share inspiring stories, practical insights, and motivational lessons to help you start your week with purpose and clarity.

Issue #142

One of the Greatest Gifts

One of the greatest gifts I ever received was a rice cooker. It wasn't for Christmas or my birthday; it simply showed up on my doorstep one day.

Over the course of my life, I've received many gifts with a much higher price tag. But cost doesn't always equate to value.

My son Joe, who had recently finished grad school, was eating at Hot Head Burritos with me. Hot Head is a fast-casual spot similar to Chipotle, where the base of the meal is rice. During our conversation, I casually mentioned, "I really like rice."

Joe held onto that. A few days later, he ordered a rice cooker identical to his own and had it shipped to my house. When I opened the delivery box, I was perplexed. I didn't order this. But inside was a note:

Even while navigating student loans and a tight budget fresh out of school, he chose to sacrifice and send me a gift. He heard me. He listened, stored that detail away, and acted on it.

Generational expert Dr. Tim Elmore notes that what people want most in their work is to be seen, heard, and valued.

● To be seen means someone up the chain of command knows your name. They ask about your family—and actually remember their names. It is a leader’s way of saying, "Your presence here matters to me." Remembering names is one of the highest forms of respect. I recall reading about a pastor of a fast-growing church who made it a point to memorize the name of every new visitor. On their second visit, they were greeted with a personal "Hello Bill, hello Susan." He credited that simple habit as a primary driver of the church's growth.

● To be heard means ideas don't disappear into a void. Imagine a new team member on the production floor who comes up with a better way to strip forms or pour a precast septic tank. He shares the idea with his supervisor and gets a polite, "I'll take that into consideration." But nothing happens, and no feedback follows. That employee immediately feels unheard—and will likely stop sharing ideas altogether.

● To be valued means knowing your work makes a difference. High-profile team members get recognized regularly, but the people working behind the scenes rarely hear that their efforts matter. Everyone wants to know their contribution counts.

Truthfully, I haven't used the rice cooker yet. My issue was never a lack of tools—I just don't like to cook! But it remains one of my most cherished possessions. Joe saw me, he heard me, and he made me feel valued. That is priceless.

Looking at the ACT Framework, how can you put this into practice this week?

Apply: How can you make your team feel seen, heard, and valued? Make a deliberate effort this week to apply this to five people in your organization who typically go unnoticed. Observe what happens to their engagement and morale.

Change: We tend to spend the majority of our time with the same few people. Change up your routine this week. Reach out to someone you know very little about. Ask for their input on a process improvement—and if it's a quick win, act on it immediately.

Teach: Imagine the impact if your entire leadership team adopted this mindset. Share this concept with your peers and managers. Tell them what you're doing and why. You can teach this principle up, down, and across the entire organization.

Go make a difference today—because everyone deserves to be led well.

See you next week!