The Right Room
Steve Maloney

My last post referenced the right room: AKA the people and environments that help you maintain momentum toward your goals. I was introduced to this terminology while reading Chris Robinson’s book, Drift to Drive, and it immediately struck me.

Robinson explains that the right kind of encouragement is essential to growth. Not the kind that keeps you comfortable, but the kind that challenges you, and believes you’re capable of more than the status quo. That kind of encouragement doesn’t happen by accident; it happens in the right room.

But the right room only works if it’s filled with the right people. In Drift to Drive, Robinson introduces some great questions to determine if you’re with the right people:

• Who are you consistently connected with who is dreaming big and achieving big?
• Who challenges you to do better and shows you how to be better?
• Who in your life has an abundant and generous mindset?

You have to choose the right rooms, actively connect, and engage. Going at it alone may feel easier, but it’s rarely effective. One analogy from the book really drove this home for me. In cycling, a “peloton” refers to the main group of riders in a race like the Tour de France. Riders conserve massive amounts of energy by riding together. This group can reduce drag and resistance as much as 95%. Momentum is easier when you’re not fighting alone.

This led me to reflect on my HR leadership roles over the past decade, and I realize now that I could’ve used additional support. Leadership can be isolating, and I bought into the idea that it was “lonely at the top.” Looking back, I could’ve been more intentional in seeking out the right room and people to help me navigate my roles. There were times I wasn’t sure what the right move was, and I wish I’d been better about seeking that support.

So, my advice to leaders is simple: Seek support. Don’t go at it alone. Create a call list of people you can lean on not only when challenges arise, but also when you’re ready to grow. Leadership is a journey that doesn’t need to be taken alone.

I’m grateful to say that today, I’m in the right room! I have the privilege of working closely with Randy Wolken, President of MACNY, and David Freund, MACNY’s Chief Leadership Officer. They’re both mentors to me, and David is my coach. It’s a beautiful thing when your workplace serves as the right room. While my support group extends beyond MACNY, I don’t take for granted how fortunate I am to have access to this kind of support.

I wanted to share this because it’s exactly the environment we aim to create through training and coaching services. Recognize that we want to be in the right room with you and support you in your leadership journey, to challenge you and help you continue moving forward. You don’t have to navigate leadership alone. We’re just a phone call or email away, and we’d love to connect and explore how we can support your leadership journey in 2026.