You know that expression “Dance like no one is watching…”? Well, I have a twist on that – I think we should “pick up trash even when no one is watching.”
Lately, I have been reflecting on different kinds of leadership, and what makes someone a good leader that people would want to follow. One example is a man that I worked with a few years ago – he wasn’t my direct supervisor but someone I interacted with quite a bit. He was a well-respected leader within my company known for having high standards.
One day, I was sitting in my car finishing up a text when I saw him get out of his truck and start to walk inside. He didn’t see me when I got out of my car and started about twenty-five yards behind him, and there was no one else in the parking lot. I saw him stoop down to pick something up off of the ground and put it in his coat pocket. About ten yards later, I saw him do it again. Right before we got to the doorway, I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out the two items he had picked up and throw them away.
That’s when I realized: he was picking up trash from the parking lot to throw away.
He didn’t do it to make a point. He didn’t even know there was anyone observing him. I never asked him about it, but I like to think he was doing it because it was the right thing to do and that he cared enough about a small thing like trash in the parking lot to do something about it himself.
It gave me a different perspective on him as a leader. When he asked people to do something, I knew he wasn’t asking them to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He was someone who picked up trash in the parking lot – there was no detail that was too small from him to care about or notice.
When I know that people are watching, I am definitely going to be on best behavior and put my best foot forward, but can I say the same about my performance and behavior even when no one is paying attention? I’d like to think so – but I know that I can always improve.
So, if you see me walking into work with my head down, please don’t think that I am upset. I am just trying to follow in a good leader’s trash-free footsteps.
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