Last week I was sitting in a coffee shop with a new friend. As we chatted about our latest projects and plans, my friend suddenly paused and leaned in. “You know what my pet peeve is?” he said. “When people say goodbye to each other they will often say ‘take care.’ It’s as common a phrase as answering ‘fine’ when asked how are you doing.”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement. It was true, “take care” is a ubiquitous goodbye phrase that has lost its meaning. But my friend wasn’t satisfied with me just agreeing. He had a point to make.

“If we want to encourage each other to be our best and to press forward in life, why are we not saying goodbye to them by saying ‘take a risk’ versus ‘take care’? Why are we wanting people to ‘take care’?” he asked.

I sat there for a moment, pondering his words. He had a point, as leaders, it’s important to not just pay attention to the big decisions and actions we take, but also the small, everyday habits and phrases that shape our character and the culture of our teams and organizations.

As a Christian leader, I was reminded of the Bible verse Proverbs 27:17 which says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We would all be well served if we were committed to encourage and empower each other to strive for our best and take on new challenges, even in the smallest interactions.

I looked at my friend and smiled. “You know what, next time I see you, I’ll make sure to say ‘go out there and crush it’ instead of ‘take care’.”

He grinned back. “That’s more like it,” he said.

As we said our goodbyes and parted ways, I couldn’t help but think about the power of small phrases and how they can shape our mindset and motivate others. I know I won’t get it right all the time but I am making a conscious effort to switch up my goodbye phrases and to encourage those around me to do the same. It may seem like a small change, but it could have a positive impact on the mindset of those around us.