Have you ever had unexpected time on your hands at the airport? I had some today.
My flight was supposed to take off at 2:30, but was delayed to 3:00, and then again to 5:00. Change, specifically as it relates to my schedule, isn’t super easy for me. I rolled with it as best I could, making good use of my time and choosing to remain patient. (BONUS: I recently read this quote: “Patience is not marked by the ability to wait, but our behavior while we wait.”).
I’m not sure if it was the extra time I had to take things in or if I was just particularly observant today, but four interactions made an impression on me this afternoon. There’s some encouragement and leadership lessons to be found in them, I think! Here they are:
Still Powerful
A week ago, I made a social media post about one of the ladies working at the lounge buffet. When I asked her how she was feeling, she said “Powerful!” I loved her response, and told her so!
Today, she was working the buffet again. I recognized her and said, “Are you still feeling powerful?” She lit up, and said, “I remember your face! I can’t believe you remembered what I said! Yes; I’m still feeling powerful!” I had the chance to share how much I loved her last week and that I looked forward to seeing her the next time I came in.
Lesson: People like being seen, but people love being remembered.
A Kiss
After I ate lunch, I was on the phone with a colleague talking through work. It was a good conversation, but we were talking about some hard stuff.
I was in the middle of sharing something with him when another one of the amazing ladies who works in the lounge saw me, lit up, and began to talk to me while I was on the phone. Quickly, she recognized that I was on a call. Still, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me on the forehead, much like moms do to their kids all the time. I couldn’t help but smile and tell my colleague what just happened.
Lesson: It’s usually easy for anyone to see when people need a little love; the people who act on it and give that love are special.
A Quick Text From a Friend
A little later, after the call, I received a text from a close friend that read:
“Just saying hey. Appreciate you and our friendship.”
It meant the world to me.
Lesson: Our words matter; we often don’t know just how powerful a simple text – something we do hundreds of times a day – can be.
Listen To Those Who Love Us
I was watching people walk by as I was standing at the gate waiting to board my flight. I happened to be adjacent to a men’s restroom. As you can imagine, every second brought a new set of people in a rush to jet off to work, on vacation, or to the faces they love.
There was a break in the rush and with it came a man who was clearly on a mission to get somewhere. As he passed me, I could see his forehead glistening with sweat. Just then, a woman called from behind him, “Hey! Turn around.” He turned around and snapped, “What do you want? I need to find the bathroom.”
The lady, who I now assumed to be his wife, sighed, turned her head to the side, and pointed at the bathroom that he’d missed on to his left.
Surprised and humbled, he lowered his head and walked into the bathroom.
Lesson: There’s more of that man in me than I’d care to admit. Let’s be quicker to listen than to react to those who love us.
I hope that something in one of these stories resonates with you, encourages you, or challenges you grow and get better.
“Better” is always on the pathway to greatness.
#ChooseToBeGreat
Angelo
CHOOSE TO BE GREAT 