Don’t Just Do the Job, Make the Impact

Today, I want to share a lesson that stayed with me from Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley. He writes that vitality is more valuable than functionality, because you can’t get results without a vital person.

Vital people bring something functional people simply don’t.

That line stopped me.

For years, many of us have been trained to be functional: meet standards, tick boxes, follow directions, avoid risks, and do what’s expected. We learn to deliver outcomes, not necessarily to question them. We become efficient, dependable, and careful; doing all the right things yet slowly losing the spark that makes our work ours.

Functional people are often the quiet achievers, getting things done, keeping systems running. Yet this can slip into survival mode; doing everything right but feeling unseen, uninspired, or replaceable. You perform the role, but you don’t shape it.

Vital people, on the other hand, are irreplaceable. They bring energy, creativity, and purpose. They think differently, take initiative, and influence others through their presence and ideas. They don’t wait for permission to add value, they create it.

Being vital isn’t about doing more, it’s about showing up differently. It’s about being intentional, finding meaning in what you do, and letting that energy ripple through your work, relationships, and leadership. Vital people are curious, embrace change, and see opportunities where others see obstacles. They stop asking, “What do you need me to do?” and start asking, “What difference can I make here?”

That’s the shift from functional to vital, from replaceable to irreplaceable. So, how do we lead this shift?

Reflect: Where in your life are you just functioning? Are there roles, habits, or routines where you are maintaining the standard instead of shaping it?

Decide: Choose one area where you want to show up with more vitality. Decide to bring curiosity, creativity, or courage into that space.

Act: Start small. Share an idea, mentor someone, improve a process, or challenge a routine that no longer serves you. Vitality grows when you act from purpose, not just performance.

Leading the shift means being the shift: moving from doing the job to creating impact, from compliance to contribution, and from simply being needed to truly making a difference.

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