Being high-value isn’t about your bank balance or your job title. It’s really about how you impact others positively, chase your dreams, and forge deep connections. It’s all rooted in self-respect, standing by your principles, and just being your genuine self.

Some folks are drawn to high-value people and inspired to follow in their footsteps. It’s a personal choice. I’ve been lucky to experience the positive impact of some high-value people and it’s made me want to be able to do the same for others. 

If like me, you want to develop into a high-value individual, one of the best things you can do is surround yourself with similar people. After all, as a motivational speaker, Jim Rohn said “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” 

But how do you spot high-value individuals? One of the easiest ways is to listen to what they say. According to psychology, there are a few phrases that you’ll only hear from high-value people. I’m about to share what those phrases are so if you’re interested, keep reading. 

Listening out for these phrases will help you to recognize these people, then you can start adding them to your network and before long you’ll be on track to becoming one yourself. 

Ready? Let’s dive in. 

1) “I see where you’re coming from on that” 

Do you know anyone who says things like “I see where you’re coming from” a lot? 

High-value folks are all about lifting others up and developing real relationships. They’re tuned into how others feel because they’re highly emotionally intelligent and have a ton of empathy. 

That’s why you’ll often hear them use the phrase “I see where you’re coming from on that.” They make a point to always try to understand other people’s views and show they’re listening to those around them. 

If you know someone who is super empathetic and always looking at things from other people’s perspectives, there’s a strong chance you’re in the company of a high-value person. 

2) “It’s just a setback, let’s learn from it and move on”

Chasing your dreams takes guts, right? 

It’s not an easy road, you face tough challenges along the way and sometimes you even feel like you’re totally failing at life. Empowering individuals are no strangers to these things, you’ll often hear them say “It’s just a setback, let’s learn from it and move on.”

It’s pretty awesome to be able to pick yourself up and dust yourself off after a major setback and just chalk it down as a learning. For high-value folks, it’s not just something they do, it’s who they are. 

They’ve got a growth mindset and always look for the silver lining in everything they do. It’s part of their DNA. It’s like they really believe anything is possible. And this starts to rub off on people around them too so if you know someone like this, stay close to them. 

3) “Thanks for the feedback, I’ll take that on board” 

You know how sometimes, it can be tough to take feedback gracefully? If it’s positive, even though you appreciate it, it can feel awkward and embarrassing. And if it’s negative, it’s a pretty tough pill to swallow, right? 

High-value individuals don’t look at feedback like that. They’re open to it. They take it in their stride and they use it to be better at everything in life. 

I always found feedback hard to accept, it didn’t matter if it was good or bad, I just felt awkward. That was until I met my manager at my first job. He could see I was struggling with some feedback he was giving me and he shared a quote with me. 

“We all need feedback. It’s how we improve.”

Turns out: this is a quote from Bill Gates, who has been a billionaire since the age of 32. The lesson from my manager was simple; if Bill Gates, one of the richest and most successful men in the world says that even he needs feedback, then I think I can accept that I need it too. 

When you hear someone being open to feedback by saying something like “Thanks for the feedback, I’ll take that on board” then you just know you’ve got a high-value individual on your hands. 

4) “Thank you for all your hard work, I really appreciate it”

It feels really great when someone notices you’ve been working hard and thanks you for it, right? 

It’s hard to believe that those two little words ‘Thank you’ can be so impactful, but they truly are. There are so many benefits of gratitude for both the giver and the receiver. High-value folks know all about the power of gratitude and they leverage it whenever they can. 

They know that the only way to achieve their big lofty goals is with the help of others and forging meaningful relationships is super important to them. They’ll often express their gratitude to others using the phrase “Thank you for all your hard work, I really appreciate it.”

When you hear someone regularly expressing their gratitude to others through phrases like this one, it’s a dead giveaway they’re one of those good people you want to have in your life. 

5) “You can hold me to that one”

One reason high-value folks really stand out is because they take full ownership of what they do and actually seek out accountability. It’s not about finger-pointing for them; it’s about laying a strong foundation of trust, commitment, and a sense of unity within their teams. 

As outlined by a recent study, holding each other accountable doesn’t just boost morale; it also ramps up the drive to work harder and the desire to stick together through thick and thin. 

These individuals often step up with bold promises, adding “You can hold me to that one” reminding everyone just how important accountability is in driving success and creating meaningful connections with others. 

For them, being accountable isn’t just an idea; it’s something they actively do. It’s a crucial part of how they work so if you hear someone using phrases that encourage accountability, it’s a sure sign they’re good company to keep. 

6) “I can see that you’re upset and it’s totally understandable”

There’s nothing quite as comforting as feeling seen, heard, and understood, right? 

Emotional validation is all about acknowledging and accepting how someone else is feeling without judging them or making it seem like their emotions are wrong or not important. 

Remember, one of the key things about high-value people is their strong desire to build relationships and have a positive impact on others. Validating someone’s feelings achieves this. 

“People who show each other acceptance feel more connected and build stronger bonds” as noted by clinical psychologist Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD. 

That’s one of the reasons you’ll often hear the stand-up characters emotionally validate others by saying things like “I can see that you’re upset and it’s totally understandable.”

7) “This is big, we need to celebrate”

I’m the kind of person who gets so focused on achieving goals, that sometimes I forget to pause for a moment and recognize how far I’ve come. I don’t always celebrate the small wins like I should. 

Lucky for me, I’ve got a high-value friend, Hannah, who always makes sure that we celebrate our successes and wins no matter how big or small they are. Her favorite go-to phrase is “This is big, we need to celebrate!”.

Like most high-value folks, Hannah knows just how important positive reinforcement is. In everything she does, she’s obsessed with ‘catching’ people doing good and celebrating them for it. She’s all about empowering people, lifting them up, and encouraging them to do more good. 

If you’ve got someone like Hannah in your life who is all about positive reinforcement and cherishing minor victories, then it’s a clear indicator that they’re probably part of the high-value crew. 

The bottom line

Being high-value is all about your approach and mindset to life. People like this never ever forget about the value of relationships and empowering others so a lot of the phrases they use center around these things. 

If you already have people like this in your life then you’re very lucky because they’re fantastic friends to have and who knows, some of their goodness might even rub off on you.

But if you don’t know anyone like this, don’t worry, they’re out there. Listen out for the phrases we’ve shared today and you’ll find your tribe in no time.