Posted: November 22, 2016 | Categories: Leadership
“Part of good leadership means having a delicate sensitivity towards others and walking with them side-by-side” -Charles Hobbs
Effective leaders are very good at filling up emotional bank accounts. Here is a story from Stephen M.R. Covey’s book “The Speed of Trust”:
“One afternoon we were preparing for a special dinner in the home of the president of the University. The following day was commencement, and that night we were hosting a dinner for major donors to the university and the honorary doctorate recipient, a prominent government official from Latin America.
As we were setting up the tables, a delivery of beautiful floral centerpieces arrived, obviously ordered by the university development office. The wife of our university president came over to him in a dither and said, “We have a problem.” She held up a plain-looking margarine tub containing violets from the garden. As it turned out, Lola- an older woman from Europe who had been their housekeeper for many years – had already prepared the “centerpieces” for the event.
The president looked at his wife and said, “No, we don’t have a problem. Just send back the flowers to the florist. We’ll use the centerpieces that Lola made.”
This reminds me of one of my favorite sayings, “Good manners are made from petty sacrifices”. The president was sensitive and unselfish. He appreciated and honored Lola’s contribution. Isn’t that the kind of person we like to work for?
