The question every leader should ask this year: If you could give your team one thing this year, what would it be? Time? Clarity? Access? Opportunity? I’ve been asking this question a lot recently while preparing for the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Leadership Conference and reflecting on this year’s International Women’s Day theme: Give to Gain. And the truth is, the answers from leaders are always emotional. Because behind every spreadsheet, strategy and KPI is a person who’s trying their best – often while overwhelmed, under-supported or drowning in admin.
The concept of Give to Gain is simple but deeply powerful:
When leaders intentionally give their people more of what they need to thrive, organisations gain performance, innovation and loyalty in return.
And in my work across marketing, planning and apprenticeships, I see this play out every day.
Understanding “Give to Gain” in Modern Leadership
“Give to Gain” isn’t about giving more work, more initiatives or more pressure. It’s about giving the things that unlock real performance:
- Time – by removing repetitive or manual tasks
- Clarity – through joined-up data and simple processes
- Access – to information, tools, and support
- Opportunity – for growth, development, and progression
This is leadership as an act of service. Leadership that amplifies others. And leadership that recognises you can only gain high-performing teams by giving them what they need to become high-performing people.
The Four Leadership “Give to Gain” Gifts That Create High-Performing Teams
1. Give Time → Gain Headspace, Energy and Innovation
When people are buried in admin, their creativity shrinks. When leaders spend evenings catching up on tasks, the strategic thinking disappears.
For example: A manager says she would “love to mentor her apprentices more, but the admin was eating her week.” Once her team automates reminders and follow-ups, she could gain two hours each week – time she can immediately reinvest into coaching. That’s Give to Gain in action.
2. Give Clarity → Gain Confident Decision-Making
Nothing slows down progress like scattered data. When teams don’t have one version of the truth – about learners, customers, projects or performance – decisions become slower, riskier and more stressful. Giving clarity means:
- Consistent data
- Shared visibility
- Simple dashboards
- Transparent pipelines and progress tracking
Clarity builds confidence. Confidence builds action. Action builds momentum.
3. Give Access → Gain Engagement and Trust
Access is equality. When everyone – regardless of role, experience or confidence – can get the information they need without gatekeepers, organisations become more inclusive. This is especially important for early-career talent and women stepping into leadership roles who often face invisible barriers.
Access empowers. Access levels the playing field. Access creates belonging.
4. Give Opportunity → Gain Future Leaders
Leadership pipelines don’t appear on their own. They’re created intentionally – through apprenticeships, mentoring, stretch projects, and structured development. The more opportunity you give, the more future leaders you gain. And opportunity becomes even more powerful when it is:
- Trackable
- Visible
- Equitable
- Supported with data-driven insight
This is how organisations grow leaders from within.
Turning Leadership Gifts Into Business Results
Giving isn’t just emotional, it’s operational. When you give people more of what they need, your organisation gains:
- Faster workflows
- More accurate data
- Reduced admin load
- Better customer and learner experiences
- Higher satisfaction and retention
- Stronger cross-team collaboration
- Improved forecasting and decision-making
These aren’t “nice to haves”, they’re foundations of sustainable performance.
“Give to Gain” Examples Across Industries
Professional Services
Give consultants automated workflows → gain more billable time.
Manufacturing and Engineering
Give teams clear visibility of sales, orders and operations → gain accuracy and planning control.
Education and Apprenticeships
Give learners and managers structured journeys and portals → gain improved outcomes and engagement.
Membership Organisations
Give members access to resources and event information → gain deeper relationships and retention.
Not-for-Profits
Give teams simple systems → gain more capacity for mission-driven work.
Every industry has a “Give to Gain” opportunity – the key is identifying it.
Tips for Embedding “Give to Gain” Into Your Organisation
To make this mindset stick:
1. Start with human friction points
Where are people stressed?
Where do they waste time?
Where do teams get stuck?
2. Simplify before you scale
Streamline processes before automating them.
3. Automate the repeatable, protect the meaningful
Let technology handle admin.
Let people handle connection.
4. Make access universal
Information shouldn’t depend on who you ask.
5. Track development, not just performance
Progression pathways should be visible, fair and data-driven.
How Avrion Helps Organisations Give to Gain More
At Avrion, everything we build is centred around this philosophy.
Customisable CRM
Give teams a single view of stakeholders within your CRM
→ gain clarity and smarter decisions.
Business Automations
Give people hours back by removing repetitive tasks
→ gain productivity and focus.
Integrated Software
Give leaders connected data
→ gain insight and alignment.
Web Portals
Give users self-service access
→ gain engagement and trust.
Private Hosting
Give confidence in data security
→ gain adoption and honesty in reporting.
These are more than digital tools, they’re enablers of better leadership.
Give More. Gain More. Lead Better.
This year’s theme is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating the conditions where others can thrive.
Give people time.
Give them clarity.
Give them access.
Give them opportunity.
Because when you give generously and intentionally, you don’t lose anything – you gain better leaders, stronger teams, and organisations that truly grow.
If you’d like to explore where your organisation could give to gain, we’d love to continue the conversation – especially as we head into the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Leadership Conference and International Women’s Day.
