Keywords

leadership, mattering, anti-mattering, gratitude, recognition, emotional intelligence, education, community, strengths, unseen work

Summary

In this episode of Lassoing Leadership, Jason Rogers and Garth Nichols dive into one of the most human—and often overlooked—dimensions of leadership: mattering. Together, they unpack how people come to feel valued, seen, and significant at work—and how easily the opposite, anti-mattering, can show up in subtle, unintended ways.

The conversation explores the role of authentic gratitude, the power of recognizing individual strengths, and the impact of unseen contributions in schools and organizations. Jason and Garth challenge leaders to reflect on their daily interactions, reminding us that leadership isn’t just about strategy or vision—it’s about how people feel in our presence. At its core, this episode is a call to notice more, assume less, and lead with intention.

Take Aways

• Mattering is foundational to trust, engagement, and leadership effectiveness.

• Anti-mattering often happens quietly—in small moments, omissions, or habits.

• Gratitude loses its power when it becomes performative rather than personal.

• People feel they matter when leaders genuinely know them.

• Recognizing strengths fuels confidence, contribution, and belonging.

• Hope must precede strategy for change to stick.

• No one succeeds alone—community matters.

• The most important contributions are often the least visible.

• Leaders shape self-worth whether they intend to or not.

• Growth accelerates when unique talents are noticed and named.

  
  

  Sound Bites

• “You need to be valued to add value.”

• “Gratitude can become performative if we’re not careful.”

• “Great leaders look for the unseen.”

  
  

Keywords
leadership, empathy, mattering, significance, education, workplace culture, gratitude, belonging, engagement, coaching

Summary
In this episode of Lassoing Leadership, hosts Jason Rogers and Garth Nichols sit down with Dr. Zach Mercurio to explore the essential human need to matter. Together, they unpack why significance is a primal driver for people, the difference between belonging and mattering, and how leaders can create cultures where individuals feel valued and essential. Dr. Mercurio shares practical strategies for addressing the “mattering deficit” in schools and organizations, illustrating how small, intentional acts of gratitude and recognition can transform engagement, performance, and well-being. Through stories and insights, the conversation highlights how leaders can build environments where people not only belong, but truly matter.

Takeaways

• Mattering is a primal survival instinct—being important to someone else.

• People must feel valued in order to add value.

• Mattering and belonging are distinct: belonging is inclusion, mattering is significance.

• The mattering deficit is a pressing challenge in organizations today.

• Simple, specific interactions can foster mattering.

• Gratitude is most powerful when concrete and personal.

• Care must be felt before people can care about their work.

• Leaders can intentionally cultivate mattering through daily interpersonal skills.

• Helping people see their unique contributions boosts engagement.

• Cultures of mattering drive stronger performance and healthier workplaces.

Titles

• The Heart of Empathy in Leadership

• Unlocking the Power of Mattering

Sound Bites

• “Gratitude is a skill and an art.”

• “You can’t unsee the mattering deficit.”

• “Keep leading the Lasso way.”

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction to Mattering in Leadership
05:43 – The Importance of Feeling Valued
08:12 – Mattering vs. Belonging: A Deeper Dive
11:03 – Mattering as an Actionable Concept
15:25 – Strategies to Combat the Mattering Deficit
19:58 – The Power of Gratitude in Leadership
24:19 – Seeing the Unseen: The Impact of Mattering
29:01 – Real-Life Applications: The Hockey Team Story

Keywords

leadership, mattering, significance, organizational culture, positive leadership, emotional intelligence, gratitude, community, engagement, personal development

Episode Summary

In this episode of Beards Book Club, Garth Nichols and Jason Rogers dig into a simple but powerful idea: mattering. Drawing from Zach Mercurio’s work, they explore what it really means for people to feel seen, valued, and significant—especially inside organizations and schools.

The conversation challenges the notion that mattering is abstract or fluffy. Instead, Jason and Garth unpack how mattering is something leaders do, not something they hope people feel. Through small, intentional actions—micro moments of attention, gratitude, and care—leaders can shape cultures where people know they belong and that their presence makes a difference.

This episode is a reminder that leadership isn’t about volume or authority, but about noticing, naming, and valuing the people right in front of us.

Take Aways

• Leadership in society feels fragile right now

• Many leadership truths are simple—and we learned them early

• Mattering is not theoretical; it’s actionable

• We can’t assume our voice automatically carries significance

• Mattering isn’t a feeling—it’s an experience we create for others

• Leaders must demonstrate mattering, not just talk about it

• Micro moments shape culture more than we realize

• Spaces are changed because of who is present

• Articulated attention is at the heart of mattering

• This may be the most valuable $20 investment in leadership learning

Sound Bites

“Leadership in society is in peril right now.”
“Mattering is actionable.”
“Articulated attention is key to mattering.”

Time Stamps

00:00 – Welcome to Season Three
06:34 – What does it mean to matter?
08:19 – Leadership, voice, and significance
10:55 – Micro moments, gratitude, and attention
13:40 – Practicing significance as a leader
17:02 – Final reflections and call to action
18:03 – Beards Book Club outro