Went to the shopping mall last night with my daughter to buy a couple of pairs of winter boots for ourselves. Dropped into a store known to many and frequented by most. When I asked for a particular style of boot that the place has sold for many years, the salesperson was clueless. "Not sure if we have them but the boot section is over there," he said, pointing directly to the other end of the store. He then went back to checking his text messages on company time.
As we walked towards the boot section, we met another salesperson. About the same age as the first guy. About the same fashion sense as the first guy. And about the same position as the first guy. But that's where the sameness stopped. This one’s attitude was completely different.
And he seemed to be switched on to the real meaning of leadership.
"The boots are over there, right?" I asked. "Yes they are. What exactly are you looking for - I’d love to help out," he replied with a warm smile. When I mentioned the style I was looking for, he explained that the company had stopped making them due to quality issues but was planning a relaunch in a few months. He then showed me alternatives, explained the benefits of each and basically took me through a mini-course in customer wow.
One of my take-aways: sure environment matters. A positive/inspirational/excellent/encouraging environment is a core driver of peak performance. But if that was everything, both of these guys would have behaved in the same way. So what made the difference? As cheesy as it sounds, it came down to their attitudes. The first salesman was a clock-watcher. The second was a relationship-builder. And one who I could tell understood that doing great work is one of the most important pursuits in life.
There are no unimportant jobs. All work can be infused with meaning, passion and a dedication to world-class. Remember the old story of the 3 stonecutters? The first was asked what he was doing. The reply was: "I’m cutting a bunch of rocks." The second responded: "I'm building a wall." The third smiled and said with deep pride: "I'm building a cathedral."
You need no title to be a leader. Just an attitude to wow and a heart full of commitment. And you can begin today. No, now.
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