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The Power of Remembering Names

August 2, 2025

The Problem: You Can’t Lead People If You Don’t Know Their Names

In fast-growing companies, it’s easy to lose the personal connection—especially for senior leaders. As teams scale and new faces appear in meetings, many leaders struggle to keep up with one of the simplest but most meaningful habits in leadership: remembering people’s names.

When we forget names, we don’t just miss a detail—we miss an opportunity to show people they matter.

By Bill Hoogterp

You might be someone who deeply values your people. You may pride yourself on caring, listening, and being present. But as your team grows, you find yourself defaulting to “Hey… you,” or sidestepping introductions altogether.

So, how do you get better at it?

The Solution: Make Name Learning a Leadership Skill

At LifeHikes, we train world-class coaches, and one thing we emphasize—sometimes more than body language or storytelling—is this: learn people’s names and say them right. It’s not a party trick. It’s culture-setting.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Effort is 80% of the Game

Most people don’t forget names—they never really learned them in the first place.

Think of names as helium balloons being handed to you. Three at a time is doable. But if you’re not tying them down—poof—they float away.

To get better at names, you need what I call irrational commitment. Brute force the process. Try. Fail. Try again. I’ve seen people go from remembering 5 names at an event to 35—just by deciding to care.

2. Tie the Name to Something—Quickly

To avoid the “wandering horse” problem, tie the name to something visual, phonetic, or emotional. You might ask:

- “How do you spell that?”
- “Where’s that name from?”
- "What’s the story behind it?”

Repeating it out loud matters. “Nice to meet you, Deb-o-rah.” Every loop you make with a name—saying it, spelling it, associating it—wraps another tie around the hitching post. And sleep helps lock it in.

3. Get the Pronunciation Right (Now, Not Later)

If you’re not saying the name correctly, you’ve hitched it to the wrong post.

A go-to phrase:

“I’ve heard a few different pronunciations—how do you say it, so I can get it right?”

This approach is respectful, inclusive, and, most importantly, it shows you care. It works even when you’ve forgotten the name entirely.

4. Write It Down—Strategically

During large meetings, I flip over my agenda and write names in a circle as people introduce themselves. Then I review them: Lisa, Mark, Adam… then backwards: Adam, Mark, Lisa.

We remember sequences. Lean into that.

5. Use the Name Right Away

This is critical. Echo it immediately in a sentence:

- “Thanks for the insight, Dinah.”
- “That’s a great question, Trinity.”

Out loud beats in-your-head by 2x in memory retention.

6. Model It from the Top

If you’re a senior leader, you set the tone. Don’t be afraid to interrupt a group introduction to clarify:

“I’m sorry—I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat it?”

“Achim, got it. And Yao—how do you spell that?”

This isn’t about dominance. It’s about investment. When you value people’s names, everyone else learns to as well.

Why It Matters

Learning names isn’t just courteous—it’s cultural leadership.

It’s the difference between saying “I care” and showing that you do. And if you believe in the philosophy that everyone matters, then their name should too.

Every name you get right becomes a micro-investment in trust, belonging, and connection. And as a leader, nothing matters more.

Bill Hoogterp is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and one of the world’s leading executive coaches. He is also a contributor to Fortune, where he answers real questions from executives striving to become better leaders.

We help executives and leadership teams strengthen the moments that matter—like remembering names, asking better questions, and creating trust through communication.

Our Coaches Are Experts In Unleashing Potential

The Power of Remembering Names

August 2, 2025

The Problem: You Can’t Lead People If You Don’t Know Their Names

By Bill Hoogterp

You might be someone who deeply values your people. You may pride yourself on caring, listening, and being present. But as your team grows, you find yourself defaulting to “Hey… you,” or sidestepping introductions altogether.

So, how do you get better at it?

The Solution: Make Name Learning a Leadership Skill

At LifeHikes, we train world-class coaches, and one thing we emphasize—sometimes more than body language or storytelling—is this: learn people’s names and say them right. It’s not a party trick. It’s culture-setting.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Effort is 80% of the Game

2. Tie the Name to Something—Quickly

3. Get the Pronunciation Right (Now, Not Later)

4. Write It Down—Strategically

During large meetings, I flip over my agenda and write names in a circle as people introduce themselves. Then I review them: Lisa, Mark, Adam… then backwards: Adam, Mark, Lisa.

We remember sequences. Lean into that.

5. Use the Name Right Away

This is critical. Echo it immediately in a sentence:

- “Thanks for the insight, Dinah.”
- “That’s a great question, Trinity.”

Out loud beats in-your-head by 2x in memory retention.

6. Model It from the Top

Why It Matters

Bill Hoogterp is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and one of the world’s leading executive coaches. He is also a contributor to Fortune, where he answers real questions from executives striving to become better leaders.

We help executives and leadership teams strengthen the moments that matter—like remembering names, asking better questions, and creating trust through communication.

Our Coaches Are Experts In Unleashing Potential

CONTENT

LEGAL

The Power of Remembering Names

August 2, 2025

The Problem: You Can’t Lead People If You Don’t Know Their Names

By Bill Hoogterp

You might be someone who deeply values your people. You may pride yourself on caring, listening, and being present. But as your team grows, you find yourself defaulting to “Hey… you,” or sidestepping introductions altogether. So, how do you get better at it?

The Solution: Make Name Learning a Leadership Skill

At LifeHikes, we train world-class coaches, and one thing we emphasize—sometimes more than body language or storytelling—is this: learn people’s names and say them right. It’s not a party trick. It’s culture-setting. Here’s how to do it:

1. Effort is 80% of the Game

2. Tie the Name to Something—Quickly

3. Get the Pronunciation Right (Now, Not Later)

4. Write It Down—Strategically

During large meetings, I flip over my agenda and write names in a circle as people introduce themselves. Then I review them: Lisa, Mark, Adam… then backwards: Adam, Mark, Lisa. We remember sequences. Lean into that.

5. Use the Name Right Away

This is critical. Echo it immediately in a sentence: - “Thanks for the insight, Dinah.” - “That’s a great question, Trinity.” Out loud beats in-your-head by 2x in memory retention.

6. Model It from the Top

Why It Matters

Bill Hoogterp is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and one of the world’s leading executive coaches. He is also a contributor to Fortune, where he answers real questions from executives striving to become better leaders.

We help executives and leadership teams strengthen the moments that matter—like remembering names, asking better questions, and creating trust through communication.

Our Coaches Are Experts In Unleashing Potential

CONTENT

LEGAL

You might be someone who deeply values your people. You may pride yourself on caring, listening, and being present. But as your team grows, you find yourself defaulting to “Hey… you,” or sidestepping introductions altogether.

So, how do you get better at it?

At LifeHikes, we train world-class coaches, and one thing we emphasize—sometimes more than body language or storytelling—is this: learn people’s names and say them right. It’s not a party trick. It’s culture-setting.

Here’s how to do it:

During large meetings, I flip over my agenda and write names in a circle as people introduce themselves. Then I review them: Lisa, Mark, Adam… then backwards: Adam, Mark, Lisa.

We remember sequences. Lean into that.

This is critical. Echo it immediately in a sentence:

- “Thanks for the insight, Dinah.”
- “That’s a great question, Trinity.”

Out loud beats in-your-head by 2x in memory retention.