There Are People Who Take, and People Who Bring: Basic Concept #1

It’s something my father told me early in life. Not as a warning, but as a simple truth.
In every room, every meeting, every team there are people who take, and people who bring.

The takers aren’t always obvious. They don’t wear a badge, they don’t always demand things outright. Some take your time, some take credit. Some take energy by always needing attention, help, validation, or drama to stay in the game. Others just keep asking but rarely offer.

And the bringers? They’re not always loud either, but they show up with something in their hands. A question worth asking, a useful thought, a calm presence, a next step. They make the room better, not because they need to prove anything but because that’s how they operate.

When you’re young, you might not see the difference right away. You’re just trying to contribute, to be helpful or to be seen. And that’s fine. But over time, you’ll notice a pattern:
The takers will drain you. The bringers will grow you.

If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself in environments full of takers, where your effort disappears, your clarity fades, and you begin to wonder if you’re the problem. You’re not. You’re just surrounded by the wrong ratio.

The principle

So here’s the principle: Be a bringer. And once you are, protect your energy. Because not everyone deserves what you bring.

This doesn’t mean you stop giving: it means you give with awareness. You scan the room, you see who steps up, who shows up, and who only takes up space. You know what to expect and you make your moves accordingly. Sometimes even to invite the other to show their hand: are they accepting the invite to bring something themselves? Or do they take and walk away?

Takers often win short-term. They grab the spotlight, secure the budget, spin the narrative. But they don’t create depth, everything is superficial. They take an idea, run with it but don’t actually know what a next step could be: no depth. Bringers on the other hand do have the idea behind the idea, and a path forward. Bringers build trust. And over time trust always compounds.

So if you’re wondering what to do next in a project, a conflict, a role — ask yourself:

• Am I bringing something to this moment?
• Is the other person bringing something too?
• Or am I just feeding a system that takes without giving back?

Final note:

being a bringer doesn’t mean over-giving. It means being deliberate. Sometimes, what you bring is insight. Or space. Or quiet, when needed. A safe place, a great idea, support. Or saying no. But it’s always something. Something that lifts another person, that builds on great ideas, that clarifies situations so others don’t fall.

Bring that. And protect it, because it’s valuable.