We’re living in a world where everyone has a platform, but almost nobody has a compass. It’s noisy. It’s crowded. Honestly, it’s exhausting to keep track of who is actually worth listening to. When I think about the people I mostly admire, I’m not usually looking at their bank accounts or how many followers they’ve bought. I’m looking at how they handle themselves when the cameras aren’t on—or when the world is actively trying to tear them down.
Admiring someone is a heavy thing. It’s more than just liking a post.
It’s about resonance. It’s that feeling when you see someone like Dr. Jane Goodall still out there in her 90s, talking about hope with the same fire she had in the 60s. That’s grit. That’s the real stuff. Most people get caught up in the "hustle culture" icons, but I think the people worth our attention are the ones who have stayed the same version of themselves while the world changed around them.
The Shift in Who We Value
There’s been a massive shift lately. For a while, we were obsessed with the "disruptors." You know the type. The tech bros who promised to save the world while breaking every social contract we have. But if you look at the people I mostly admire today, they are often the builders, not just the breakers.
Take someone like LeBron James.
Sure, he’s a basketball player. But have you looked at the I Promise School? He didn't just write a check and walk away. He built a system. He understood that his influence wasn't just about a jump shot; it was about leveraging a platform to fix a systemic failure in his hometown. That kind of long-term vision is rare. It’s easy to be famous. It’s hard to be useful.
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Why Integrity Beats a Viral Moment
We’ve all seen the "main character" energy on social media. It's everywhere. But the people who actually move the needle are usually a bit quieter. I’m talking about folks like Malala Yousafzai. Most of us would have folded. I probably would have. To face that kind of targeted violence and come out the other side not with bitterness, but with a global mandate for education? That’s almost superhuman.
She’s one of the people I mostly admire because she didn't let her trauma become her entire identity; she turned it into a tool.
The Quiet Power of Being Wrong
I’m obsessed with people who can admit they were wrong. It’s a lost art.
In the 2020s, changing your mind is seen as a weakness, especially in politics or business. But think about Adam Grant. He’s an organizational psychologist at Wharton, and he literally wrote a book called Think Again. He’s one of the people I mostly admire because he actively looks for data that proves him wrong. That’s a level of intellectual humility that most of us can’t even fathom.
It’s refreshing.
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If you’re following people who are 100% certain about everything, 100% of the time, you’re probably following a charlatan. Real experts—the kind who deserve our admiration—are full of caveats. They say "it depends." They say "I don't know yet."
The Resilience Factor
You can't talk about admiration without talking about resilience.
Look at Keanu Reeves. The internet loves him, sure, but why? It’s not just the John Wick movies. It’s the fact that he’s experienced more personal loss than most people could handle—losing a child, a partner, a best friend—and yet he remains the guy who gives his seat up on the subway and buys the stunt crew Harleys.
He’s a reminder that you don't have to let the world make you cynical.
Defining Your Own List
Who are the people I mostly admire? It changes. As I get older, I find I admire my grandmother more than I admire any CEO. She raised four kids on a shoestring budget and never lost her sense of humor. That’s a different kind of "scaling" that business schools don't teach.
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We need to stop looking at the Forbes 400 as the only list that matters.
Start looking for the people in your industry or your community who are doing the work for the sake of the work. The teachers who stay late. The nurses who actually listen. The developers who write clean code because they care about the person who has to maintain it in five years.
Common Misconceptions About "Role Models"
People think role models have to be perfect. That’s a lie.
Actually, I find it harder to admire someone who has never messed up. I want to see the scars. I want to see the person who failed a business, went broke, and then started something else with a better heart. That’s why Steve Jobs, despite his legendary prickliness, is still on many lists. Not because he was a "nice guy"—he famously wasn't—but because his obsession with quality was a form of respect for the user.
Actionable Ways to Find Better Mentors
If you’re looking to curate a better circle of influence, stop looking at the "trending" tab. Start looking at the footnotes of the books you love. Who did those authors learn from?
- Audit your feed: If someone makes you feel anxious or inadequate rather than inspired, unfollow them immediately.
- Look for consistency: Has this person held the same core values for a decade, or do they pivot every time a new trend emerges?
- Prioritize character over craft: You can admire someone's skill while acknowledging their character is lacking. It's okay to separate the two, but for the people I mostly admire truly, both must be present.
Instead of just consuming content from these people, try to reverse-engineer their habits. Don't just watch a Brenné Brown TED talk; read the research she cites. Don't just admire Yvon Chouinard for giving away Patagonia; look at how he ran the company for forty years before that.
Real admiration requires a deep dive into the "how," not just the "what." It's about finding the people who represent the version of yourself you want to be when no one is looking. Focus on those who demonstrate endurance over those who chase intensity. The world has enough flashes in the pan. We need more anchors.