I do this because I know what it’s like to need someone in your corner.
That’s the simple answer. But like most simple truths, there’s a story behind it that explains everything.
I grew up in San Antonio, Texas—just me and my mom. My dad died before I turned two, and Mom made a decision that would shape my entire life: she would never remarry. Instead, she did something even more remarkable. She surrounded me with mentors.
Think about that for a moment. A single mother, working hard to make ends meet, who understood something profound: one person can’t be everything to a kid. So she built a small, powerful army of people who believed in me, challenged me, and showed me different ways to see the world.
These weren’t fancy consultants or paid advisors. They were people who cared. People who took time. People who saw something in me I couldn’t yet see in myself.
Before I hit high school, Mom quit her day job and started her own interior design business. I watched her forge ahead—building a brand, growing something from nothing, turning it into a huge success. Every spare moment I had, I was right there helping her. That’s where my passion for entrepreneurship was born, not in a classroom or a textbook, but in the trenches with someone who was actually doing it.
Looking back now, I can see the pattern that’s run through my entire life.
From the Army to twenty years in banking (including surviving three mergers—if you know, you know), to founding five different companies, to starting a nonprofit that helped over 4,500 people during one of the darkest economic times in recent history—there’s been one constant: the difference-makers were always the people who invested in me.
Not the strategies. Not the systems. Not the frameworks.
The people.
The officer who pulled me aside and said, “You’re thinking too small.” The boss who trusted me with responsibility I wasn’t sure I was ready for. The fellow entrepreneur who answered my 11 PM panic call and talked me off the ledge. The stakeholder who asked the hard question I’d been avoiding.
Those moments changed everything.
When the financial crisis hit, I saw something that broke my heart. Talented, capable people were losing more than their jobs. They were losing their confidence. Their sense of identity. Their belief that they still had something valuable to offer.
I couldn’t sit on the sidelines.
So I founded Jobs Ministry Southwest—a faith-based career transition organization that became something I never imagined. Over 4,500 people came through our doors. We delivered more than 200,000 hours of training and Coaching. Fortune magazine even featured our story.
But here’s what I remember most: the look on someone’s face when they realized they weren’t alone. When they understood that someone believed in them, even when they’d stopped believing in themselves.
That’s when I really understood my why.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about leadership: it’s not about having all the answers.
It’s about having someone who’s been through it. Someone who can help you see around corners you didn’t even know were there. Someone who won’t let you settle for surviving when you could be thriving.
Think of it like hiking a tough trail. Sure, you could study the map, read all the guidebooks, watch YouTube videos. But isn’t it better to go with someone who’s actually walked that trail? Someone who knows where the loose rocks are, where the best views are, where you need to pace yourself?
That’s coaching. That’s mentorship. That’s what my mom’s gift taught me.
I’ve sat in the Army tent making decisions that affected soldiers’ lives. I’ve been in the boardroom when millions of dollars hung in the balance. I’ve been in the startup garage wondering how we’d make payroll. I’ve led nonprofits where the mission was bigger than the budget.
And every single time, what made the difference wasn’t just strategy or skills—it was having people who cared enough to invest in me.
Right now, we’re in the middle of a leadership crisis, and most people don’t even realize it.
Sixty percent of leaders feel “used up” daily. Think about that. More than half of the people leading teams, making decisions, and shaping culture are running on fumes.
Remote work has killed the informal conversations that used to build trust. The casual check-ins that prevented problems? Gone. Leaders are managing people they barely know, trying to inspire through video screens, watching engagement scores drop while pretending everything’s fine.
Add to that the generational divide—where leadership styles that worked for decades are landing flat with younger team members who want different everything: different communication, different motivation, different approaches.
And nobody’s talking about the real issue: leaders don’t need more tactics. They need what I needed. What everyone needs.
They need someone in their corner.
Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s not about having the perfect system or the latest framework.
Sustainable leadership—the kind that doesn’t burn you out or hollow you out—comes down to a few things:
It’s about building genuine connections, even when your team is scattered across time zones and screens. It’s possible, but you need to be intentional about it.
It’s about leading without losing yourself. You took this role to make an impact, not to sacrifice your sanity, Health, or Family time. There’s a way to do both.
It’s about bridging generations without compromising. You don’t have to abandon your leadership style to connect with Gen Z and Millennials. You just need to understand what actually motivates people at different life stages.
I’ve spent three decades learning what actually works. Not theory. Not what sounds good in a TED Talk. What works when you’re in the middle of it, when the stakes are real, and when people are counting on you.
This is why I do what I do.
Because every leader deserves what my mom gave me: someone who sees your potential and won’t let you waste it.
Someone who’s walked the path and can help you avoid the potholes.
Someone who asks the questions you’re avoiding.
Someone who believes in you when you’re not sure you believe in yourself.
I’ve coached over 4,500 professionals through career transitions. I’ve delivered more than 200,000 hours of leadership training. I’ve worked with everyone from Fortune 500 executives to small business owners with 15-person teams.
And you know what I’ve discovered? The fundamentals never change. People need to be seen, heard, and believed in. They need someone who cares enough to tell them the truth. They need someone who’s been there and lived to tell about it.
If you’re reading this and something’s resonating—if you’re feeling used up, overwhelmed, or like your tried-and-true approaches aren’t working anymore—know this: you’re not broken.
The system is broken. The old playbook doesn’t work in 2025.
But here’s the good news: the leaders who figure this out now will have a massive advantage. The ones who invest in themselves, who find someone in their corner, who learn to lead in ways that work for this moment—they’re the ones who’ll thrive.
And you know what? I’d be honored to be that person for you. Because someone did it for me. And that gift is meant to be passed on.
That’s my why.
What’s yours?
The post Why I Do What I Do: The Power of Having Someone in Your Corner appeared first on Business Advisor and Executive Coach | Doug Thorpe.
