The Word That Stopped Me This Year
Back in December, I wrote about the different "words of the year" and the language people were using to set their tone for 2025. The word I’m about to share probably won’t be trending anytime soon — it’s not easy to say, and it’s even harder to spell. But when I stumbled across it recently, it stuck with me. It made me stop and think.
The word is Eudaimonia — a Greek word that speaks to human flourishing. Not just achieving well, but living well.
This isn’t the kind of thing I usually write about. I tend to stay closer to the practical side of leadership — goals, growth, delivering results. But this word provoked me. It made me wonder: beyond all the plans and targets, what does it really mean to live — and lead — well?
Eudaimonia is often mistaken for happiness, but it points to something deeper. It’s about meaning, growth, and living in alignment with who we truly are. It’s not about chasing constant pleasure. It’s about building a life — slowly, steadily — that feels rooted and real.
We spend so much of our lives working. And while I don’t believe it’s a company’s job to make people happy — that’s something each of us carries for ourselves — I do believe the environments we build matter. The work we do, the cultures we create, the standards we set — they can either support people’s ability to grow, or quietly chip away at it.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that flourishing — in life and in leadership — isn’t about perfect balance or constant success. It’s about staying close to what matters. About building lives, teams, and organizations that make it easier for people to grow stronger — if they choose to.
It’s something I’m still learning — and know I’ll need to keep re-learning. Not a shift away from strong performance, but an expansion of what performance really means.
Maybe that's the deeper work of leadership:
Not just to perform, but to flourish — and to help others do the same.
Let’s Talk
If this resonates — if you’re wondering whether the work you’re doing, the team you’re leading, or the business you’ve built still feels fully aligned — I’d be happy to help you think it through.
I work with leaders who want to build organizations where people can truly flourish — and who know that strong results and strong cultures can (and should) grow together.
Whether you need a sounding board, a fresh perspective, or simply space to step back and reconnect with what matters most, let’s start a conversation.
👉 You can reach me via www.anthonyomara.com or send me a DM here on LinkedIn.
Sometimes flourishing isn’t about adding more.
It’s about coming back to what matters.
Anthony O’Mara is an executive coach and advisor, drawing on 30 years of senior leadership experience in global companies. He works with leaders and teams to navigate change, sharpen strategy, and lead with clarity and intent.