Attention is the currency of love, leadership, and value

Many years ago, I was working on an aid project in Nicaragua (yes, I was a Sandalista—the slightly humorous term used for us foreigners who wore sandals and came to help the Sandinista revolutionaries).

One Saturday afternoon, we went to a distant village to help set up a market garden. This involved clearing a plot of land in the middle of the village and planting vegetables.

I was a bit perplexed. Why hadn’t they done this before?

The locals already knew how to grow food. They had the skills, the tools, the land, and the water. So, what did we aid workers actually bring?

What you give your attention to, you give your power to.

Nothing but attention.

We talked with them, helped them organise, and listened. Then, we grabbed some hoes and began turning the soil.

And that was enough. Being seen, being heard—being given attention—made them feel valued.

That’s when it hit me.

Attention = Value

It’s at the heart of:
✅ Good communication
✅ Love (who you choose to spend your time with)
✅ Performance management

My own role in Nicaragua? Helping fix water pipes—something I knew nothing about. But by showing up, listening, and focusing, I figured things out. At the radio station, I trained young people—but what they really got was attention. And for a while, they felt valuable.

Contrast that with trying to get attention from your phone provider, an insurance company, or a big corporation. They don’t want to give you time—it costs them money. Instead, they throw automated messages at you, anything to avoid actual human connection.

In a world where distraction is the default, attention is the most precious thing you can give.

👉 Who’s the last person who made you feel truly seen? Drop me a message.

#Leadership #Communication #AttentionMatters