Achieved Strategies

The other day I witnessed a very disturbing scene alongside a freeway off ramp.  A homeless man and woman were hitting each other.  I suspect it had something to do with one of the two’s belongings in a trash bag strewn across the shoulder.  I slowed down, honked my horn. It didn’t break their fist throws to the other person’s head. I was worried about slowing down too long out of fear of being rear-ended. I was conflicted about pulling over and intervening between the two. I opted to not do that either. It was not a shining moment for me. I was worried about my safety while two human beings pummeled each other. In my rear view mirror I could see the two hit each other as they fell down a hill and fought their way back to the top.  Did I call 911? No. My mind was caught up on how horrible a person I was being by not helping out the woman.

I share this not to cleanse away regret or shame. I share it as a reminder to us all. And since this is a blog mostly about leadership, I can’t also overlook the invaluable connection to servant leadership.

Throughout our interactions with others, we witness actions and hear words that display our ugly sides. It’s part of being human.  As leaders, people who stand for making lives of others better, what are we doing when we look away and do nothing?  What are the unintended consequences from looking the other way when we witness people treating each other with disrespect, without compassion, or not acknowledging the humanity in living?

As leaders, we lose touch of what our people experience in their world when not at work. They become a faceless person in the sea of people we see. We don’t know the story of each person on our team.  We make decisions that conveniently overlook the impact to an employee’s family. A senior executive I know thoughtlessly stated that employees stock up on food during tough times, right? What?  The same employees who are underpaid and live paycheck to paycheck?  There is likely no stored food for tough times.

It’s easier to look away.  Or is it?

Sure, overtime we forget. But I believe our memory hangs on to our choice to look the other way.  My choices haunt me.  The fighting man and woman was not my first time to look away.  Looking away is convenient at the time, but the problems don’t go away.  The damage or whatever is done.

As leaders, we are leading in times that present new realities.  It is no time for us to look away from the difficulties our employees face.  It is time for us to have conversations about what is going on in their world that impacts their ability to do great work for us, for themselves.  You are kidding yourself if you believe personal life and work life don’t mix.

Servant leaders don’t look the other way. We look boldly (and sometime scared shitless) forward. And help our colleagues, teams, and employees talk about the ugly, difficult, scary, ambiguous “things.”

Servant leaders connect with people.  Servant leaders connect to help others realize how great they are. Servant leaders don’t look the other way.

The next day I looked for evidence on the shoulder as I made the same exit.  There was no evidence of a fight or belongings from the trash bag.  But I can’t forget.