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Hi Reader, Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with: If your biggest business challenges are actually people challenges, you’re in the right place. 1 Real Story I’ve been flying a lot more over the last year and a half plus. Mostly back and forth to Seattle. For years, I primarily flew United. I’ve had my United card since 1993 and my Delta card since 1997, so we’re not talking about casual relationships here. Airline loyalty, once established, tends to become oddly personal. Last year, I had Silver status with United, so I was often upgraded to Premium Economy. Then they changed the qualification requirements from 12 flight segments to 15, and I lost my status. Rude. To add insult to injury, United also changed its flight schedules, and suddenly the timing worked far less well for my trips. So I started looking at Delta more seriously. At first, it was practical. The flights worked better. Sometimes the prices were better, too. I also had miles to use. Then Delta started upgrading me consistently. Comfort Plus. Now here’s the odd thing: I have no real status with Delta. Not Silver. Just a card-carrying member since 1997. Yet somehow, they keep making the experience easier, more comfortable, and frankly, more human. And you know what’s happened? I now consciously choose Delta whenever I can, even if the flight costs a little more. Part of that is practical. Standing 5’11”, those extra three inches of legroom make a big fricking difference. Air travel was clearly designed by people shaped like carry-on luggage. But honestly? It’s bigger than legroom. The whole airline experience right now is a red-hot mess. Delays. Crowded gates. Shrinking seats. Crazy pricing. Everyone looking vaguely one inconvenience away from a complete emotional collapse somewhere near Gate C17. And in the middle of all that, Delta keeps making small gestures that make me feel valued. Not extravagantly valued. Just…noticed. I also know someone who flies for Delta, and through him, I’ve learned more about the company itself and how it tries to operate. Not a perfect company. But a company that appears to be trying hard to treat people well. And honestly, that matters too. Because over time, repeated experiences of feeling valued change loyalty. They change how we feel. You stop wanting to fight so hard for scraps of recognition. You start gravitating toward places, people, and environments that make the experience easier, lighter, kinder. Honestly, it’s a fascinating little case study in human behavior. What influences people is rarely one singular action in a vacuum. It’s cumulative. A thoughtful gesture changes how someone feels. Round and round it goes. 1 Leadership Insight Leaders dramatically underestimate the power of tangible expressions of value. Not performative praise. Actual signals of value. Trusting someone with meaningful responsibility. Because loyalty is rarely built through one grand gesture. It’s built cumulatively. One experience at a time. And importantly, loyalty is not permanent simply because it has existed for a long time. People stay loyal to organizations, relationships, teams, and companies for years largely out of habit…until another experience makes them realize things could feel different. Better. And once someone experiences what it feels like to truly be valued, the contrast becomes difficult to ignore. Employees leave for this reason. People go where they feel valued. Repeatedly. 1 Practical Takeaway Think about the people around you right now:
What signals are you consistently sending about their value? Not what you intend internally. What are your actions actually communicating over time? Because people are constantly making emotional calculations based on their experiences with us. Do they feel noticed? Small gestures compound. And often, loyalty is not lost in one dramatic moment. It slowly erodes when people stop feeling valued. The good news? The opposite is true too. Loyalty can also be strengthened one unexpected upgrade at a time. 1 Dose of Art A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.
Doodle by Gary Schechner, 7/24/2026 Know someone who needs a Dose? Forward this – or introduce us! I know this is a “mass email,” but I genuinely love hearing from people. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up. Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox. More joy. Less friction. Always. |