When Life Comes to Work

As a leader, I interact with people every day. But the truth is, I can never fully know what is going on in their lives.

In working life, we talk a lot about performance, targets, and results. And we should – without them, companies cannot grow. But at the same time, there is another side to working life that sometimes receives less attention: our shared humanness.

Recently, I have seen many different moments in my own life and among those close to me. There has been joy, deep sorrow, uncertainty, and changes in family life – in other words, life itself. The kind of things that eventually touch all of us.

Sometimes life feels light and everything runs smoothly. At other times, something happens that affects us far more than what anyone on the outside can see.

We all come to work carrying our lives with us.

Life does not stay at home when you join the first Teams meeting of the day or walk into the office. The emotions we carry may not be visible to colleagues, managers, or even close teammates – but they are still there.

These experiences recently made me reflect on leadership and growth.

How can a leader recognize what people are going through? And where is the line between leadership and someone’s private life?

Leadership contains an interesting tension. On one hand, a leader’s job is to set direction, define goals, and expect results. Growth happens when people do their work well and move things forward.

At the same time, none of us truly know what another person is carrying. In reality, that is rarely possible. Leadership cannot be based on assumptions.

This is why the human element at work is not about leaders trying to read people’s minds. It is about the kind of culture we build together.

Is the workplace a place where someone feels comfortable saying that something in their life is affecting their work at the moment?

In my experience, when people are able to speak openly about these things, something quite simple often happens. The leader understands, offers support, and sometimes gives a bit of space. And very often the employee returns quickly to performing well – because they feel valued as a person, not just as a performer.

There is no single right answer to this.

What matters most may simply be the atmosphere we create around us. Is there room for conversation and listening in everyday work? Is leadership only about tracking goals, or is it also about meeting people where they are?

Leadership does not mean knowing everything. It means recognizing that you don’t.

And perhaps that is why one simple principle matters: Be human to another human.

This does not mean lowering expectations or giving up on goals. Quite the opposite – trust and the human element often create the conditions for the best results.

In the end, workplaces are communities where people achieve things together. Everyone brings their own life, emotions, and circumstances with them.

We don’t just manage performance.

We lead people.

 

Joni Lappalainen, CEO of HGTP Group