Your Partner Is Your Greatest Leadership Investment

Madusha Ranaweera
2 days ago
5 min read

2010: We met. Exactly 15 years ago.

2014: I graduate from university.

2015: He graduates with a double major. We get married. I also start interning at Bio Foods.

2017: Master's in Psychology finished. I move to Sri Lanka full-time to work at the company.

2018: I become Chief Marketing Officer. We (mostly my decision during a life crisis) adopt two dogs.

2021: Covid hits. We move back to Canada.

2022: I step into the CEO role. I move back to Sri Lanka. He moves to Germany with our dogs. (The dogs couldn't come back to Sri Lanka because Canada wouldn't allow them to return if they had.) We make long distance work, but boy did it test us.

2023: We move again. This time to the UK so that we can be together.

2024: The job requires me to move again, so I had to take my leave.

2025: I build my own company. He finally starts his long-delayed Master's in Psychotherapy.

What Could Have Broken Us

That kind of constant moving and stress of that (and my job) could have broken us.

There were years where his career kept getting interrupted. There were months when we argued more than we laughed. And there was a season when "home" wasn't really home. It was just an extension of work.

Looking at that timeline, I can see all the moments where we could have fallen apart. Where the distance, the stress, the career sacrifices, the sheer exhaustion of trying to build something while constantly rebuilding our life together could have been too much.

But it wasn't.

And I want to talk about why. Because I don't think we talk enough about how much our partnerships shape our professional success. We talk about mentors, networks, education, and opportunities. But we rarely talk about the person who sees us at our worst and still believes in our best.

What Saved Us

Here's what saved us:

1. He never stopped being my number one cheerleader. I was his.

When I was doubting myself, questioning decisions, wondering if I was capable of leading, he never wavered. He saw things in me I couldn't see in myself. And I did the same for him, especially during those years when his career had to take a backseat to mine.

2. He listened when I needed to vent. I did the same (though he was better).

Leadership is lonely. There are things you can't tell your team, your board, your colleagues. But you need to tell someone. He was that person. And he never made me feel like my problems were too much or too trivial.

3. He had amazing insights when I was stuck.

Some of my best decisions came from conversations with him. Not because he knew my industry, but because he knew me. He could see patterns I missed. He could ask questions that cut through my overthinking.

4. And sometimes, he was also the therapist I needed.

Let's be honest. Leadership takes a toll on your mental health. Having a partner who understood that, who could hold space for my stress without being consumed by it, was invaluable.

5. Love.

All my friends in all these places became his friends too, and all his friends were mine. He wasn't just my partner in my family. He was the son they never had. So imagine how little relational drama I had in my life! It made space for me to deal with all the work drama.

6. Shared core values (even when we disagreed on the details).

We didn't always agree on how to do things. But we always agreed on what mattered. That alignment meant we could weather disagreements without questioning the foundation.

7. Constant and almost radical communication (especially about the hard stuff. Nothing was off the table).

We talked about everything. Money. Career sacrifices. Resentments. Fears. The things most couples avoid because they're uncomfortable. We didn't avoid them. We couldn't afford to.

8. Equal commitment to self-reflection (because without it, you just talk past each other).

Both of us were willing to look at our own contributions to problems. To admit when we were wrong. To work on ourselves, not just the relationship. That made all the difference.

The Investment Nobody Talks About

We spend so much time investing in our careers. Degrees, certifications, networking events, professional development. And all of that matters.

But I truly believe your partner is the greatest investment you'll ever make.

You can't choose your family. I got exceptionally lucky, but it isn't the case for most people. But you can choose your partner.

And the people closest to you can either amplify your potential or plant subtle doubts that hold you back.

I've seen it happen. Brilliant, capable people held back by partners who undermine them. Who make them feel small. Who resent their success. Who create drama that bleeds into every other area of life.

And nothing derails a career faster than a relationship that chips away at your confidence.

On the other hand, I've also seen what's possible when you have the right person beside you. When you have someone who believes in you fiercely, who supports your ambitions, who makes sacrifices without keeping score, who celebrates your wins like they're their own.

That's the difference between reaching your potential and falling short of it. Between building something meaningful and burning out trying.

What This Really Means

This isn't about finding someone perfect. It's about finding someone committed.

Committed to growing together. Committed to honest communication. Committed to working through the hard stuff instead of running from it.

It's about choosing someone whose values align with yours. Who wants to build something with you, not just exist alongside you.

And it's about being that person for them too. Because this isn't one-sided. It's a partnership in the truest sense.

When I look back at everything I've accomplished, I can trace so much of it back to that choice I made in 2010. To choose him. To keep choosing him through every move, every challenge, every impossible season.

Because building a career really does take a village. And it starts with who you choose to build with.

Fifteen Years Later

Happy 15th anniversary to us.

My whole life changed in 2010. And everything I've built since has been possible because of that choice.

Not because he made things easy. Not because there weren't sacrifices, arguments, or moments of doubt.

But because when it got hard, we had something strong enough to hold us. We had each other. And we had a commitment that went deeper than convenience or comfort.

If you're building something big, whether it's a company, a career, or just a life you're proud of, choose your partner wisely.

Because the right person won't just support your dreams. They'll help you become someone capable of achieving them.

And that's the investment that makes everything else possible.