Have you ever stopped to think about the decisions that shape your life the most? Sometimes, they’re not the ones you expect. Here’s one lesson I learned from my incredibly brilliant partner.

Once in a while, I feel really smart. And if you know my partner and sweetie, that’s saying something. She’s not just brilliant—she’s incredibly hard-working, kind. Her brain glows at night while she’s sleeping.

Every so often, she asks for my advice. (I like to think I’m a good sounding board.) Occasionally, I get it right. A few years ago, when she was serving as a department chair at a university (for a second time), she was grappling with a big question. What would her legacy be when she eventually moved on?

She asked me what I thought she should focus on.

I suggested that who she hired would leave the most enduring and positive impact on her department and the university. The people she brought in, and the culture they created together, would outlast everything else. Over the next three years, she carefully selected and hired new faculty members—no small feat in an academic environment.

I remember her telling me about one candidate who didn’t have the perfect resume but had the perfect mindset. She gave them a chance, and they thrived.

Some of those people, like her, have since moved on. But she still keeps in touch and remains proud of the impact she had. And the impact they had, and who they hired, and so on.

Who you choose to surround yourself with throughout your life has a bigger impact than almost anything else.

Except, maybe, who you’re born to. Your childhood friends, the people you hang out with in school, where you choose to work, who you hire, and who you marry. Each decision shapes your life in profound ways.

Whether it’s a colleague, a partner, or a mentor, the people you surround yourself with have the power to shape your future. And theirs.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made about the people in your life? Or the one you wish you could do over? Share in the comments if you want to.