People Don’t Just Hear Leaders—They Become Their Words

This article was originally written on September 19, 2026.

During my primary school days, I was taught mostly by Ghanaian teachers. Those were the days when teachers were demi-gods. Anything my teachers told me was right. No one could dispute the words of my teachers—not even my parents. Their words laid the foundation for my future. If they said I could do something, I believed them. If they said I couldn’t, I believed them.

I recall an incident when I just resumed in JSS 1. I had passed Common Entrance Examinations in Primary Five and skipped Primary Six. I went straight to JSS 1. During one of the early Mathematics Classes, our new teacher asked a simple question—or so I thought. His question was 0 minus 1. I raised my hand in absolute confidence. That was easy peezy. I had been taught by the best. Smiling, I rose up from my seat when the teacher recognized me and shouted, ‘Impossible’.

The teacher said I was wrong. I insisted I was right. I argued with the teacher. How could he undo what I had learnt for about five years? I still chuckle anytime I recall this incident but it brings home the fact that a teacher in the formative years of any child matters a lot. If the foundation is destroyed at this stage, it becomes a very herculean task to correct the defects. That is why one can see the effects of poor foundation in the lives of many children as they grow up. That is one of the reasons I’m an advocate of having a solid early years education.

People do not just hear their leaders. They absorb their words, mirror their actions and often become the people those leaders have taught them to be. Share on X

The same applies in the workplace. The Line Manager or Supervisor of entry-level or new hires matters a lot. If you have the privilege of leading new hires especially, you’re midwifing a career. You’re actually the bridge between whether they have the self-belief that they can have a successful career or whether they quit in self-doubt.

Your words matter—how you handle, correct, affirm and lead is either the foundation to greatness or the cesspit to an unstable professional life. Many young hires take after their first managers. Whatever you sow in them grows. They become your image. They take on your likeness. Your words will chart a path for their professional lives—even more sometimes. As a manager, your words should be seasoned with salt and grace.

When you lead a new hire, you are not just managing a role. You are helping to shape a career, build confidence and influence the professional they will become. Share on X

I can’t forget my first Line Manager. I was a fresh Engineering graduate who just finished Banking School. I felt so unsure of myself but my Line Manager was patient with me. I’ve not met a more friendly and empathetic manager. Those were the days of manual clearing in Banks but my manager would join me to balance the accounts. When I got confused, he was patient.

He was gentle with his words. He scolded me when necessary but I could see it was for my good. Once, he gave me his personal car to take my mum to the hospital. He made me love banking and 26 years on, I’ve not forgotten how his words propelled me into a future I now live in.