Enough with “Taking Care of Your People” : Leadership is About Results

Richard A Meyer
3 min readOct 2, 2024

On LinkedIn, dozens of posts say leaders need to “take care of their people.” The idea is everywhere: employees want empathy, managers must coddle their teams, and leaders must invest in each individual’s well-being. While employee well-being is essential, this narrative is missing something critical: work is still work, and business is about results.

What if leaders hired self-sufficient people who understood that the company’s primary goal was to make money and didn’t need to be coddled through every minor challenge instead of focusing on hand-holding?

Business First, Always

Every company exists to serve a purpose-delivering a product, offering a service, or making a profit. That mission should be the priority. Too often, leaders are told they must act as therapists, mediators, or life coaches for their teams. This dilutes their ability to focus on business goals and shifts the emphasis from performance to catering to emotions.

Not every employee is suited to thrive in an environment where expectations are clear, and results matter more than feelings. Leaders need to stop trying to accommodate everyone and start hiring people who can align with the business’s goals from day one.

Hire for Independence…

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Richard A Meyer
Richard A Meyer

Written by Richard A Meyer

Healthcare marketing thought leader and CPG marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience.