Every Team has Lifters and Leaners.

Lifters show up early, own their mistakes, and make the people around them better. They don't wait for permission to fix a problem. They just pick it up.

Leaners wait. They lean on the deadline, on the teammate who always catches it, on "someone else will handle it." They're not bad people. They're just letting someone else carry the weight.

You can't spot the difference on a résumé or in an interview. You find out under pressure. When the project slips, when the client's frustrated, when the budget gets cut, lifters step up and leaners step back.

The best teammates aren't always the most impressive on paper. They're the ones who grab the other end without being asked.

That's how we try to show up for our clients at Verde Martin, and it's who we look for when we build a team.

So be honest with yourself this week: are you lifting, or leaning? And tell me about a lifter who's carried you. They deserve the shout-out.