Leave room for inspiration
Taxi drivers, zumba instructors & other incredibly inspiring people
I have a hard time when I hear employees act surprised that an executive would make time to get to know them. Why should that be a surprise? In my book, people are people and everyone can learn something from anyone. If the ego gets too big at the top, there is no room for inspiration; and the most inspiring moments come from the most unexpected places.
“More the knowledge lesser the Ego,
lesser the knowledge, more the ego.”
-Albert Einstein
A few years ago, I was coming back from Cannes, and had car service arranged for the ride home. The gentleman who stood waiting for me seemed warm and friendly enough, but I really didn’t think too much about him as I hopped into the back of the sedan. As we all often do these days, I began checking email, but the driver kept asking me questions about my trip, my career and my family. So, I put my phone down as we turned onto the freeway and asked him the same. Turns out, he had three kids in Ivy League schools and that one of them was a doctor. He had given up a high powered job to bring his family to the states and provide his children these incredible educations and potential careers. He was so proud as he spoke about each child, and spoke nothing of the sacrifices he made. I was washed over with an amazing sense of selflessness and dedication.
Fast forward a few months later, and I met a woman in San Francisco who had a lifelong dream of being a ballet dancer. She was classically trained as a child and was accepted into one of the most prestigious ballet companies when she found out she was pregnant. She had to figure out how to take care of her daughter by herself, so she put the dream on hold and worked odd jobs here and there. Yet, she never strayed from the goal — she stayed committed, traveled all over Latin America for inspiration, and found her way back to dance later in life. She now runs one of the most successful and most talked about Zumba studios in the Bay Area.
Life has a way of inspiring reflection if you stay open to it.
These random experiences forced me to ask myself about sacrifices and selfless behaviors that I could be making to move people in my life forward. If I was above it all, and didn’t take the time to engage, I would have missed it.
I decided to sit down with each member of my team, regardless of reporting structure, to explore their challenges, dreams & passions. By doing this, I discovered a passionate soul with an insatiable appetite for exploring new experiences, and a wife, mother and perfectionist who needed help balancing it all, I was shown the things that inspire them — types of campaigns they would love to work on, loved ones whom they look up to, stories about childhood friends, risk takers and standing up for what’s right.
These conversations inspired me to be a better leader, The kind of leader that takes risks they can be proud of, shields the team from naysayers, enables creativity, brings them new opportunities and encourages quality time with their families.
And I learned the value of staying humble, providing my teams with the space and the comfort level to tell me when they thought I was wrong; to stand up for ideas that I wasn’t sure about, and to give them the time to prove themselves right or wrong. It is humility that leads to loyalty and trust in the end. That saying “thank you” and “I believe in you” even when you have hesitations can lead to confidence and success; that a simple note of thanks to the receptionist who made your day easier can be paid forward in spades.
And just to bring this point home on a personal front —
I met my husband 11 years ago on a parking shuttle at LAX. All it took was putting down my phone and being present for the sake of being present during that 5-minute ride to our cars. A man who inspires me each and everyday with his own selfless acts and belief systems. The kind of guy who fixes the toilet at work to keep his team on the manufacturing floor, and is the first to give up his seat to someone in need of it.
So… before you walk down the hallway with your head up high or your nose buried in your phone, think twice. Everyone around you can inspire you in some way.
Michelle Denogean is the former CMO at Edmunds.com. She is a senior marketing executive, thought leader & practitioner in the world of business strategy, growth marketing, brand communications and digital disruption. Michelle is currently advising and consulting with companies looking to disrupt their respective industries. This post is part of her leadership {playbook}, intended to advise, inspire and mentor leaders at all levels.
Follow Michelle on Twitter: @DenogeanNow
http://michelledenogean.com
