Do I Have Value to Add?
Steve Maloney

In my last blog post, I introduced John C. Maxwell’s five questions for Value-Added Leadership – questions that have had a profound impact on me. Over the next several posts, I’d like to take a deeper dive into each question. Let’s start with the first question:

Do I have value to add?

At first glance, the answer seems obvious.

“Of course I do.”

In fact, I shared in my last post that every one of us has value to add. Yet if we’re honest, many leaders don’t always believe that.

Some hesitate because they compare themselves to someone with more experience, more credentials, or a bigger title. Others assume they need to have all the answers before they can make a meaningful contribution. Still others become so busy solving problems that they stop recognizing the value they already bring every day.

The truth is this: every leader has value to add.

The better question isn’t whether you have value. It’s whether you’re intentionally sharing it.

One of the greatest misconceptions about leadership is that adding value means making a grand gesture or delivering a breakthrough idea. In reality, leadership is built through small, consistent deposits.

• Sometimes adding value is asking a thoughtful question.
• Sometimes it’s listening without interrupting.
• Sometimes it’s sharing a lesson from a mistake you’ve already made so someone else doesn’t have to repeat it.
• Sometimes it’s recognizing a team member whose hard work might otherwise go unnoticed – Ken Blanchard called this “catching people doing things right.”

These moments may seem ordinary, but they often become the interactions people remember most.

Your Experiences Have Value

One of the advantages of working with leaders across different organizations is that I get to see the incredible knowledge that exists within each company. Every leader has accumulated experiences that someone else hasn’t had yet. We need to share that knowledge with others. I spent an entire series sharing my story in this blog. You may recall my question at the end – what’s your story?

Share yours with your team members:

You’ve navigated difficult conversations.

You’ve made decisions with limited information.

You’ve learned from successes and failures.

You’ve built relationships, solved problems, and adapted to change.

Those experiences become valuable only when they’re shared.

Value Begins with Awareness

One reason leaders fail to add value is that they’re simply not paying attention. Adding value requires intentionality. Before walking into your next meeting, ask yourself:

“What does this group need from me today?”

• Maybe they need clarity.
• Maybe they need confidence.
• Maybe they need accountability.
• Maybe they simply need someone who believes in them.

The Value You Add Doesn’t Always Show Up Immediately

A lesson I’ve learned over the years is that leadership investments often have delayed returns. The coaching conversation you have today may not produce results until six months from now. The lesson you teach today may become the principle someone remembers years later when they’re leading their own team. I’ve had students reach out to me months and years later, letting me know how much they appreciated the information or advice I shared with them. You don’t always see the impact immediately, but that doesn’t mean the impact isn’t happening.

As John C. Maxwell often reminds us, people may not remember everything we say, but they’ll remember how we made them feel. Leaders who consistently add value leave people with greater confidence, greater capability, and greater hope.

Never underestimate the value you bring to others. Your knowledge, experiences, encouragement, and presence matter. Every leader has value to add. The leaders who make the greatest impact are the ones who choose to add it — intentionally, consistently, and one person at a time.