I recently completed a cross country bicycle ride to commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9-11, raise $100,000 for the Tunnel To Towers Foundation, and to honor the memory of my little sister Katie McGarry Noack, who we lost at Windows on the World on the 107th floor of the North Tower in NYC on that day. On my ride, I encountered a team member who represented the very best of the value of the "Quiet Leader." In fact, I likely would never have completed my goal were it not for the support of this Quiet Leader- Jeff Reed of Microsoft in Seattle. I would like to share my thoughts with this group.
The Quiet Leader
On every successful team, there is often a quiet leader.
Not the one with the title. Not the one standing in front. But the one who shows up โ again and again โ for others.
The one who notices when someone is strugglingโฆ and gently steps in without making a show of it. The one who teaches, not to impress, but so that others can stand a little taller the next time. The one who gives of themselves in ways that often go unseen.
There is a humility to that kind of leadership. A quiet strength. A generosity of spirit.
And it exists alongside the more visible kind of leadership โ the kind that makes decisions, keeps things moving, and carries the weight of responsibility. Both are necessary. Both matter. But itโs often the quiet leader who shapes the soul of a team.
On this bicycle ride across America, Iโve had the privilege of riding alongside someone like that.
He could ride circles around most of us without breaking a sweat. But thatโs not what defines him. What defines him is what he does when someone else is hurting.
After 70 miles in punishing West Texas heat, when your legs are heavy and your patience is thin, heโs the one crouched beside you, helping fix a flat tire when there are still 25 miles left to go.
On a day off, when most people would rest, heโs in the corner of a small hotel, patiently walking me through the parts of a bike โ teaching, explaining, encouraging โ never rushing, never condescending.
And on those long climbs โ the kind that test not just your legs but your will โ heโs the one who pulls up beside you and reminds you, in the simplest and most profound way:
โ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐? ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ค๐จ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐จ. ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ?โ
He doesnโt seek recognition. In fact, I suspect he quietly avoids it. But he finds joy in watching others push through, grow stronger, and rediscover their own sense of possibility.
That kind of personโฆ they are the glue.
Iโve known a few people like this in my life, especially in the business world.
Youโd find them on project teams โ the steady presence, the unspoken leader, the one everyone trusted without needing to say it out loud. They were rare. And once you recognized them, you understood something important: you donโt take people like that for granted.
You appreciate them. You protect them. And if you acknowledge them, you do it in a way that respects who they are โ because theyโre not doing it for applause. Theyโre doing it because itโs who they are. Itโs woven into them. Itโs part of their DNA.
And out here, over the course of these 44 days, Iโve been reminded just how powerful that kind of quiet leadership can be.
I feel lucky โ truly lucky โ to be riding alongside one of them.
Thank you Jeff Reed.
#SeattleJeff #Gratitude
Patrick McGarry
August 6th, 2026
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida