The Work Will Never Love You Back, But People Might
Let’s stop pretending the job is gonna love you.
It won’t send you a thank-you card for working late.
It won’t ask how your kid’s recital went.
It won’t remember that weekend you “just popped on” to fix prod.
You can give the work your nights, your energy, your peace of mind, and it will still ghost you the moment there’s a restructure, a budget cut, or a shiny new buzzword strategy. That’s not cynicism. That’s lived experience.
But you know who might love you back?
Your team.
Your peers.
Your mentees.
The people who grew because you made space for them.
The ones who felt safe enough to speak up because you listened.
That’s where the real return is.
You’re Not Building Legacy with Deliverables
We treat output like legacy.
Launched features, burned-down backlogs, sprint velocity metrics—cool, but no one remembers you for that.
They remember the leader who stood between them and the fire.
They remember the boss who said, “Take care of your family first.”
They remember the peer who said, “You’re not crazy, that was a trash idea.”
You’re not gonna leave behind a statue made of tickets and KPIs. But you might leave behind better humans. That’s the kind of impact that lingers.
Put People First, and Let the Work Follow
Your job will always want “just one more thing.”
People? They want to matter. They want to feel safe. Seen. Heard. Valued.
So ask yourself:
- Did I protect someone’s time today?
- Did I make someone feel like their voice counted?
- Did I model what healthy boundaries look like?
If you’re doing that, you’re not just a manager. You’re a leader.
The real flex isn’t being irreplaceable to a company, it’s being unforgettable to a human being.
The Work Is a Machine. You Don’t Have to Be.
Go ahead, take pride in your work. But don’t let it become your identity.
Invest in people. Nurture relationships. Laugh more. Apologize faster. Be human.
Because at the end of the day, your code won’t send flowers to your funeral. But your team might show up.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s the kind of legacy worth building.
