Smart Leaders Stop Measuring ROI for Every Relationship

My friend Brad Sugars told me he just appointed a Chief Community Officer. He explained that when the new hire asked, “What exactly is my job?”, he gave a simple answer. Her job was to reach out to every franchise partner, discover what they were great at, learn what they needed help with, and connect them with someone who could offer that help.

That was it.

No complicated metrics. Just human connection that helps.

Brad reminded me that while businesses are often built on systems and goals, they also survive through challenges, surprises, and grow toward maturation in relationships. The heart of his investment focused on creating relationships where generosity was present.

The Simple Power of Connection

When I asked Brad why he believed this approach mattered so much, his answer was also straightforward. He said that people get more value from being connected with others than from almost anything else his organization provides.  His company trains business leaders around the world. 

Brad told me that many of his most important business relationships and his closest friendships were born in intimate gatherings. They have shared meals, laughter, and honest conversations. When crises come, those are the people he calls.

He is practicing investing in intentional community. He recognizes that strong relationships are not built by accident. They are created through time, presence, and generosity.

Every business leader could benefit from asking: Who are the people I invest in without expecting anything in return?

People may join our networks, but they do not always feel they belong there.  We must invite and invest so others recognize how much we want them connected to us and that they matter to us. 

Community grows resilience not by how many people we can reach. Resilience grows by how deeply we connect with admiration and trust with those we can know.

When we prioritize community, we create environments, or venues, where people feel comfortable to give their best generously.  They stop calculating every choice through a cost-benefit calculation.

The Generosity Principle

The return from investing in honest and generous relationships is often profound and real, and it usually does not show up in the quarterly assets and debits report.

Generosity builds the kind of trust we need that makes every other form of success possible, especially when things go bad. 

Brad tells me that he never measures the outcomes of his own community gatherings. He does not count how many deals or collaborations come from them. He simply believes that generosity works, and the time he recognizes this has proven right.

Every time he organizes a dinner, sends a kind message, or checks in with a friend, he is investing in relational capital. This kind of wealth compounds. It creates a foundation of loyalty and goodwill that no marketing strategy can generate.

Imagine a workplace where people freely share ideas, where collaboration replaces competition, and where colleagues celebrate one another’s growth. That kind of culture can never be built with incentives or slogans. It must be modeled.

Generosity can turn contagious. When people experience kindness, they often want to pay it forward.

I have seen this happen in organizations of all sizes. When one person begins to connect team members across departments or recognizes others’ contributions publicly, the energy in the room shifts. It becomes safer to contribute, easier to trust, and more rewarding to belong.

The ROI You Cannot Measure

When Brad invests time in relationships, he is not wasting hours. He is planting seeds. Some will grow into partnerships. Others will bloom into friendships. And a few will profoundly change lives.

Leaders who give generously often find that opportunities appear from unexpected places. These are not coincidences. They are the outcome of knitting relationships that teach others they want us around and involved. 

How You Can Begin

You do not need a grand plan to practice generosity to grow critical relationships. You simply need your intention.

Start small.

Invite a few people you respect to share a meal or a walk and ask about their challenges. Listen. If you know someone who can help, make the introduction.

Send a note of encouragement to a colleague who is struggling. Offer your expertise without expecting recognition. 

If you are genuine in your generosity, over time, these small acts will create a culture of giving around you. People will recognize and trust that your motives are genuine. They will want to work with you, support you, and help you succeed. This has been my experience for decades. 

Generosity is not a strategy for short-term gain. It is a way of being that sustains long-term relationships that matter, often when we need them most.

Who are the people in your life who make you feel seen and supported?
How often do you reach out simply to strengthen those bonds?
Where in your organization can you create opportunities for others to connect?

So the next time you sit down to plan your next week’s strategy, take a moment to ask: How can I demonstrate some generosity today?

Get free resources on building the community you long for at www.charlesvogl.com

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