Substance Over Status: Why Character Outlasts Titles
Status is temporary. Substance is what endures. A title might look impressive, but what truly matters is how we treat people—kindly, humbly, and with consistency. That's the kind of legacy worth leaving behind.
We live in a world that is captivated by status. Fancy titles, high follower counts, expensive clothes, or a corner office—these are the things people often chase. But here's the truth: none of it lasts. Status is a shadow that shifts with time. Substance, on the other hand, is solid. It’s what you stand on when everything else falls away.
I try to remind myself to obsess over substance, not status. And it’s not just a philosophical idea—it’s a lived principle.
There’s a retired police chief I have the privilege of working with on a committee. A seasoned professional, highly respected, and widely admired man. From the very first meeting, he greeted me warmly but always addressed me by my formal title: “Director.” “Good morning, Director,” or “What do you think, Director?”
At first, I let it slide. I knew he meant it respectfully. But after a couple of meetings, I finally said something.
“Please, just call me Jeff,” I warmly said.
He paused, nodded and smiled. I could tell he understood.
I wasn’t trying to be dismissive of the respect he was showing me. I appreciated it, truly. But I didn’t want my identity tied too tightly to a title. I didn’t want the word “Director” to inflate my ego or change the way I interacted with people. I’ve always believed that a job title doesn’t make someone more important than anyone else—it just defines a role, not a person’s worth.
We’re all just people doing a job. Some of us lead. Some of us follow. But all of us matter.
What’s truly special isn’t the label on your nameplate—it’s how you treat people. Titles can impress strangers, but kindness earns respect that lasts. When we obsess over substance—integrity, consistency, humility, decency—we become the kind of people others trust, not just admire from a distance.
I’ve seen people cling tightly to their job title or position as if it were armor. But the ones who inspire me the most are the ones who show up without pretense. They’re confident without being arrogant, humble without being weak. They lead with character, not credentials.
And when they’re gone—when the nameplate comes off the door and the retirement party is over—people don’t remember the title. They remember how that person made them feel. They remember whether they were fair, honest, generous, real.
So I’ll keep asking people to call me Jeff. Not because I don’t value my work, but because I value people more. I want to be the kind of leader who’s known for what I did and how I did it, not what my business card said.
Where a lot of people are obsessed with surface, I want to be rooted in substance.
That’s what endures.
