Today I had a deep and valuable conversation with a colleague from Sweden. He’s working on his big vision with top leaders — to create a more sustainable planet for the long run. To create real impact. To protect the future.

At one point he asked me:
“We don’t know how our world will look in 75 years. And I won’t even be alive then.”

“So why should we care?”

In that moment something clicked. The insight was so powerful that I even lost him for a second as it landed in me. Goosebumps. Full stop.

I called myself out:
“Sorry Henrik. I just had a powerful insight. I lost connection with you for a second, I still have goosebumps.”

He leaned in.
“What is it?”

And here’s what I said:

“Relay running. In a relay, each runner has one mission — to give everything they have in their leg of the race, before passing the baton. The first runner has no clue if the last runner will even make it to the finish line. That’s not his concern. If he focused on that, he’d miss his own target — his own race.

Our mission is the same. To run our race as best as we can. To pass the baton — knowing we gave everything. The next generation won’t just inherit the baton.”

“They’ll inherit the example, the mindset, the proof that no matter what comes, you give YOUR ALL right here, right now.”

Silence. Then Henrik whispered:
“I got goosebumps too.”

So here’s my reflection for you:

• Where in your life are you secretly carrying the “why should I care?” attitude because the future feels uncertain?

• What legacy do you want to leave behind for the next generation?

• What’s the “leading by example” moment you’re most proud of?

Because leadership is never just about us.
It’s about how we run, how we show up and what baton we choose to pass.

Love,
Laszlo