The World Just Watched the Most Unforgettable Leadership Failure—Here’s How to Make Sure It’s Never You

If you’ve seen the headlines this week, you’ve witnessed a masterclass in how NOT to become unforgettable.

Let’s be honest—every business leader, every CEO, every decision-maker dreams of being unforgettable. Not just visible. Not just making noise. But truly, deeply, permanently unforgettable in the minds of clients, partners, and the world. Yet this week, with Trump, the European leaders, and Zelenski all sharing the stage, we got a front-row seat to what happens when the wrong people try to play that game.

The world tuned in for big promises, big personalities, and what was billed as a “historic” summit. But what’s actually unforgettable about this gathering isn’t the leadership, or the hope for peace. It’s the hypocrisy, the posturing, the devil’s bargain playing out behind the scenes. Trump struts in, declaring, “I know how to make a deal. I know how to end this war in 24 hours.” 

The Europeans echo with, “We must remain united in support of Ukraine, but we must also secure our own interests.” And Zelenski, once the darling of the West, now stands accused of turning global sympathy and billions in aid into his own private piano—playing a tune that makes him richer while his people pay the price.

Every leader in that room wants to be unforgettable. But instead of leaving a legacy, they’re leaving a warning. The piano is playing, but the devil’s at the keys. They’re not making themselves unforgettable for the right reasons—they’re making themselves unforgettable for all the reasons you and I should avoid.

So, what if you could become unforgettable for the right reasons? What if you could walk into any room, any meeting, any negotiation, and have people remember you—not for your scandals, not for your noise, but for the way you made them feel, for the way you elevated them, for the way you changed their story?

That’s what we’re talking about today. And by the end of this, you’ll know exactly how to move from invisible to unforgettable—without ever needing a scandal, a headline, or a devil’s deal.

Let’s break this down. Because whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or building a brand, you’ve got your own version of that piano in every room you enter. You have the power to create harmony, to inspire, to leave a mark that lasts. But you also face the devil’s temptation: to play for yourself, to take shortcuts, to chase short-term wins at the expense of long-term trust.

Let’s get real: most leaders—especially in politics, but also in business—fail because they’re playing the wrong song. They think leadership is about being the loudest, the smartest, the richest. They forget that the real job is to make their clients, their people, their audience unforgettable. 

That’s the heart of the “From Invisible to Unforgettable” system. Your job isn’t to be the star. Your job is to make everyone else in the room feel like they’re the star. 

When you do that, you win. Every time.

But look at what’s happening in this meeting. The European leaders are playing for themselves. They’re making decisions based on what’s good for their bottom line, not what’s right for the people who actually pay the price. They’re listening to the devil, who’s whispering, “Take the money. Secure your future. The war will end eventually, but you need to win now.”

And here’s where the “From Invisible to Unforgettable” system would change everything. Imagine if, instead of talking about “economic realities,” the European leaders walked in and said, “Our job is to make Ukraine unforgettable. Our job is to make peace unforgettable. Our job is to make the people we serve feel safe, empowered, and respected.” Imagine if they played the piano for the audience, not for themselves. 

The devil would have no place in that room.

But that’s not what happened. And let’s be honest, that’s not what happens in most boardrooms, most governments, most businesses. The temptation to play for yourself is strong. The devil is always there, offering shortcuts, easy wins, quick profits. But every time you take his deal, you lose something you can never get back: trust.

Trust is the currency of leadership. It’s what makes people follow you, buy from you, believe in you. Lose it, and it doesn’t matter how much money you make, how many deals you close, how many wars you win. You’re just another player at the piano, banging out noise while the audience looks for someone who can actually play a tune worth listening to.

Let’s get even more controversial, because let’s face it, that’s what gets people talking. The truth is, a lot of the European leaders don’t actually want the war to end—not yet. There’s too much money to be made, too many deals to be done, too many headlines to be written. If peace broke out tomorrow, a lot of powerful people would lose their seat at the piano. The devil isn’t just in the details—he’s in the incentives.

And before you say, “That’s just politics,” ask yourself: how many times have you seen the same thing in business? How many times have you seen leaders make decisions that are good for them, but bad for the people they’re supposed to serve? 

How many times have you been tempted to take the devil’s deal, to play a song you know isn’t right, just because it’s easier, faster, more profitable?

This is where the “From Invisible to Unforgettable” system comes in. It’s not just a business strategy—it’s a way of living, a way of leading, a way of playing the piano so that everyone in the room wants to listen, wants to join in, wants to follow your lead. 

It’s about shifting the focus from “How do I win?” to “How do I make you unforgettable?” Because when you make your clients, your team, your partners unforgettable, you become unforgettable. 

You become the leader everyone wants to follow, the brand everyone wants to buy from, the person everyone wants in the room.

Let’s get practical. The first step in the “From Invisible to Unforgettable” system is to know WHO you are. Not who you want people to think you are, not who the devil says you should be, but who you really are when the music stops and the room goes quiet. Are you the kind of leader who plays for applause, or the kind who plays for impact? 

Are you willing to stand up, even when it’s unpopular, and say, “My job is to make you unforgettable, not just myself”?

The second step is to know WHY you do what you do. If your only reason is profit, the devil will always have a seat at your piano. But if your reason is bigger—if it’s about making a difference, creating value, leaving a legacy—then every note you play will ring true. People can feel the difference. They know when you’re playing for them, and when you’re just playing for yourself.

The third step is to build your TRIBE. Not just a fan club, not just a mailing list, but a real community of people who believe in what you’re doing because you’ve made them unforgettable. When you have a tribe, you don’t have to shout to be heard. 

You don’t have to fight for attention. Your tribe will carry your message, defend your reputation, and help you create the kind of impact that lasts long after the last note is played.

The fourth step is to master ETHICAL PERSUASION. The devil loves manipulation, half-truths, and spin. But real leaders persuade by being honest, by telling the truth, by showing up even when it’s hard. Ethical persuasion isn’t about tricking people—it’s about inspiring them to want what’s actually good for them. It’s about making the right thing the easy thing.

And the fifth step is to COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY TO THE BRAIN. The piano is a powerful metaphor because music bypasses logic and hits us right in the emotions. Great leaders know how to communicate in a way that sticks—not through fear or pressure, but through stories, metaphors, and messages that make people feel something real. When you speak to the brain, you move people. When you move people, you change the world.

Now, I know some of you are thinking, “That all sounds great, but isn’t it naïve? Isn’t the world just too complicated, too corrupt, too full of devils for this to work?” And to that I say, maybe. Maybe the world is full of devils. Maybe the piano is out of tune. But every great movement, every great company, every great leader started by refusing to play the old song. They started by writing a new one—a song that made everyone in the room feel like they mattered, like they belonged, like they could be unforgettable too.

So here’s my challenge to you. The next time you walk into a meeting, a negotiation, a crisis—look for the piano. Ask yourself, “Am I playing for myself, or am I playing to make everyone else in this room unforgettable?” Listen for the devil. He’ll be there, whispering shortcuts, easy wins, reasons to compromise. But remember, every time you take his deal, you lose a little bit of what makes you unforgettable.

And if you want to learn how to play the piano so well that the devil gives up and leaves the room—if you want to become the kind of leader who’s remembered not for the noise you made, but for the music you created—then join me this Thursday for a free webinar. No sales pitch, no devil’s bargain, just real talk about how to move from invisible to unforgettable as a leader, a brand, and a human being.

Book your seat here: https://make-me-great.com/webinar-registration

Because the world is tired of devils at the piano. It’s time for a new tune. Will you play it?