Reflections on Q1: The Art and Science of Being Needed
Reflections on Q1: The Art and Science of Being Needed
As we close the books on the first quarter of 2026, many of us are looking back at the resolutions and objectives we set in January. Usually, this is the time for performance hacks or productivity audits. But as I look at the landscape of modern leadership, the world of work and job satisfaction, I find myself asking a more fundamental question: What makes a good life?
Who, at the end of the day, is the happiest and most satisfied?
It took me many decades butI finally figured myself out. I need to be needed by other people. Also, pets.
The Needed Factor
It turns out that being needed isn't just a personal realization; it is grounded in decades of longitudinal research. The Harvard Study of Adult Development—the longest-running study on happiness—has consistently found that the single greatest predictor of health and happiness isn't wealth, fame, or even hitting every Q1 KPI. It is the quality of our relationships.
To be satisfied is to be woven into the lives of others. In a professional context, this translates to purpose and agency. Data from Q1 2026 indicates that while salary remains a factor, the highest levels of job satisfaction come from meaningful work where an individual’s contribution is visible and vital. We don’t just want to work; we want to know that if we didn't show up, something important would stop happening. We would be missed. We need to be needed.
Redefining the Objective
If your Q1 review feels like a list of mechanical achievements, it might be time to pivot the lens. At Logan Advisory Services, we create programs that move beyond traditional performance metrics to focus on AI Leadership Training and Behavioral Resilience.
True leadership in the age of AI isn't about out-calculating a machine; it's about leaning into the qualities that machines can't replicate:
Human Agency: Understanding how your unique presence and decision-making are needed by your team.
Narrative Intelligence: Creating a culture where people feel their roles are essential to the larger story.
Social Fitness: Building the "relational muscles" that actually sustain us through market volatility.
I invite you to look at your goals not just as tasks to be completed, but as opportunities to be essential. Whether it’s through leading a breakthrough project, making a birthday cake or simply being the person your dogs are excited to see after you’ve been gone all day. Or even the person they are excited to see after you’ve gone into the bathroom for five minutes. Satisfaction, happiness, enjoyment and purpose come from the connection. Make yourself essential and be thankful when you find that you are.
How are you ensuring that you—and your team—feel truly needed this year?
Postscript: Pet Science Proves the Point
Our connection to animals is proof of this deep need for connection. Beyond the companionship, there is a biological imperative at play. Interacting with our pets lowers cortisol and increases oxytocin. They provide a unique form of being needed that is uncomplicated. They keep us in the present moment—a skill many leaders struggle to master. The research into the connection between humans and their companion and working animals is extensive. Every year we learn more and more about how we can partner with them in therapeutic settings, to help people who are lonely and to bring us back to our fundamental humanity. So when all else fails, call the dog, entice the cat into your lap and settle back and scroll through videos of animals interacting with babies and toddlers.
