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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: You Still Have To Take Care of the Annoying Things

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that you still have to take care of the little things, even if they are annoying.

I was reminded of this on a day when I was running errands and going to appointments, and trying to schedule other appointments in the process. I was trying to make good use of my time by making phone calls while I was waiting on something else. It happened to be on Good Friday, just before Easter, and the places that I called kept going to voicemail with messages that said that they were closed for Good Friday. Even though I understood why they were closed, it was a little frustrating, because they were still things that I needed to get done. Because they still needed to get done, I couldn’t just forget about them, and had to keep them on my list to take care of on a different day. And that was annoying.

I think that happens frequently with many of the peripheral things that we try to do. They are not the things that are the primary focus of the day, but they are still things that need to get done. Usually they are little things, and often there is more than one that needs to be taken care of. In that way, they can feel like annoyances. You know, things that we have to do because it’s necessary to do them, but we wish we didn’t have to take the time to do them because we feel like there are more important things we need to do with our time. Then, something happens that makes it even a little more difficult to do that little thing than what we had planned. We get frustrated, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is still something that needs to be taken care of. That’s what I was experiencing in that moment.

After I got past the initial frustration, I thought about some of the things that this experience could teach me. You may think of more, and you are welcome to share those with me, but these are the three that I immediately came to my mind.

  1. Take care of the little things, even if it’s annoying. It reminds me of the parable of the talents that Jesus told when he made the point that he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. It reveals the reality that how you handle little things is generally a reflection of how you will handle big things. I’m also reminded of the verse in Song of Solomon 2:15 that, as an analogy, says the little foxes ruin the vineyard. So, not only will doing the little things be an indication of how you handle bigger things, not doing them will have a negative effect in the long run.
  2. Know that there will be hiccups. Often things don’t go exactly according to plan. Similar to the way that Jeff Goldblum‘s character described chaos theory in the original Jurassic Park movie when he dropped a water droplet on his knuckle to illustrate that tiny variations will cause changes in what happens next, expect that there will be unexpected things that have an impact on what you are trying to do.
  3. Choose how you respond, and take care of those little things anyway. You may not have control over external factors that cause hiccups, but you do have control over how you respond. Choose to see these things as challenges to be managed rather than problems that are in your way. You can’t always avoid the little difficulties, so don’t let them derail you.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from navigating the little annoyances on a day when I was taking care of errands. Along with those things that may be your primary focus or task, there are lots of little things that need to be addressed, resolved, or managed. Expect them to be things that cause frustration (sometimes, at least), and choose how you respond, knowing that how you do is a reflection of how you will handle the big things, and that when you don’t, you are creating bigger problems. So, even if they are annoying, take care of the little things.

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Quote Your Dad

“Either it’s true, or it’s not.”

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Podcast Season 3, Episode 39: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life – There Is More To See Than What You See

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that there is often more to what you see than what you see.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: There Is More To See Than What You See

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that there is often more to what you see than what you see.

I was driving to a neighboring town for some work that needed to be done on my truck. I live near the edge of the county, and the place I needed to get to was not far across the county line, so this errand took me into a different county than one that I live in. As I was driving towards my destination, I saw the sign on the side of the road that announced that I was now entering the next county. The difference was noticeable, because almost immediately the road surface became rougher, with some potholes and a well-worn surface. To be fair, the county that I live in had just resurfaced the road, and it had been quite rough before they had done that. But now, the difference was obvious. It was the same road, but the appearance, quality, and drivability changed when I crossed over from one county into another.

This made me think about other things that were the same, but then were presented, provided, or maintained differently. For example, sometimes when I’ve searched for something on Amazon, I have seen the exact same item selling for different prices from different vendors. I have seen cars listed for sale that were the same make, model, and year, but with noticeably different appearance and wear. I have gone to a department store to see an item of furniture or clothing selling for a higher (or lower) price than the same item at another department store (and it’s because this is true that some stores will offer to price match the price of something that another store has listed). I’ve witnessed prices rise, sometimes significantly, and then lower again in relation to circumstance and demand (do you remember the fluctuation in egg prices during the year of COVID?).

What do all of these things indicate? They point out that there is usually more to something than than what it appears to be in the surface. Eggs are eggs, but sometimes eggs are more valuable at one time than they are at other times. Two cars that are the same are affected by how they are maintained. The same item sold from different places will be affected by hidden costs of service and administrative factors. Each of those is affected by timing, priority, and resources. And that’s helps to explain why the same road that I was driving on in one county had a different feel in another county.

Now apply this concept to your leadership and your organization. You may offer a service or a product, but there is more to what you offer than simply the service or the product. It is for that reason that you need to be aware of the “more” that is there. If you are not, it will have a negative effect, not just on what other people see, but what they experience. You may be aware of others factors than what I list here, but you can at least start with these four things.

  1. Reputation. Your character and your conduct, both personally and organizationally, produce a reputation, and once that reputation is in place, it is very difficult to change. Be aware of your reputation, and get in front of things that could damage it.
  2. Hidden costs. There are often unexpected and unseen factors that impact what you are doing and how you are doing it. Knowing that allows you to plan for those kinds of contingencies. I had an uncle who was a building contractor, and he always added vandalism expenses to his costs, because experience had taught him that he was likely to experience it on a building project.
  3. Maintenance. Everything experiences wear from use and friction over time. Make sure that you are doing things necessary to maintain whatever needs to be maintained. There is effort and cost to keeping things maintained, so you need to account for it.
  4. Need. Demand almost always plays a role in the value of something. Pay attention to what people need, so that you can be aware of the ways in which you can meet those needs, and show how you are doing so.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from noticing the change in the surface of the road as I drove from one county into another. There are things that you don’t see that eventually have an impact on what you do see. The reality is that what people see is also going to be affected by what they experience, and what they experience is often affected by what they don’t see. This requires you to cultivate a level of awareness and discernment, so that you can see what is not obvious or visible, what is hidden but necessary or uncontrollable, and can be intentional about how you navigate those things. Learn to see beyond and beneath what you see on the surface, because there is more to see than what you see.

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Quote Your Dad

“You can be better or you can be bitter, but better is better than bitter.”

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Podcast Season 3, Episode 38: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life – You Don’t Always See the Help That Was Needed

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that you don’t always see the help that was needed (or that was given!).

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: You Don’t Always See the Help That Was Needed

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that you don’t always see the help that was needed (or that was given!).

I was reminded of this when I had a video meeting for work. It was early in the morning, and I wanted my wife to be able to rest while I was meeting, but I was also watching our grandchildren. So, I made sure I had everything prepared for them to be entertained while I was on the call. I had some of their favorite independent activities out and set up, I had snacks for them, and I had made sure that they had used the bathroom. I was sure that I had everything all set. Because I was sure that everything was good, I was focused on the meeting and did not notice when one of them needed some help with something, and went into the other room where my wife was resting. My wife woke up to help them with what was needed, and then she graciously entertained them until I was done with my meeting. Because I didn’t hear any commotion and I was focused on the meeting, I did not even realize this was happening until the meeting was over.

What this showed me was that I needed some help that I didn’t know I needed, and I received help that I didn’t know I had gotten. Without even being aware of it, a grandchild needed assistance, and my wife stepped in and took care of it. I want to interject here that my wife has been this kind of partner for me my entire married life. She has always helped me in so many ways, usually behind the scenes, because she loves me and wants me to succeed. I also want to be clear that there was no emergency, and my grandchildren were not in danger of any harm, but it was still a great example of receiving help when I wasn’t even aware it was happening.

In retrospect, I can see this has been true throughout my life. In both my life and in my work, there have often been ways in which I have been helped without being aware of it. Sometimes I didn’t know I needed it until I was right in the middle of the circumstance, and then I was grateful that it was there. Other times, I didn’t know it had happened and I only learned about it afterwards, and I was humbled by that. Therefore, because of those experiences, I am absolutely certain that there were also other times about which I never knew and still don’t to this day. As I reflect on this, I think of four lessons that this shows me from my own experience that I hope are just as valuable for you:

  1. Be humble enough to recognize that you have needed and received help. Sometimes you’ve needed help even when you didn’t think you did. Be courageous and confident enough to understand that, and be willing to recognize and accept it.
  2. Give appreciation when you see that you have been helped. You may not always be aware that it has happened, but when you are, you need to express gratitude.
  3. Be thankful even if you didn’t see it. Often you have received help without your knowledge because someone has a true motive of service and love, and didn’t want the recognition. Accept the fact that you may have received help and be glad that you did.
  4. Do the same for others. Remember that others have helped you succeed, even if or when you did not know they were doing it. You ought to willing to do the same, and with the right heart.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from my wife stepping in to help with the grandkids when I did not even know it was happening. You have been helped many times and in many ways throughout your life, just like I have. Sometimes you have been aware of it, but other times you have not. Regardless of whether you knew it or not, be grateful it was there and be willing to do the same for others.

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Quote Your Dad

“If you’re good, you don’t have to tell people. They’ll tell you.”

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Podcast Season 3, Episode 37: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Just because you can do it better doesn’t mean you should

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that just because you can do something better than someone else doesn’t always mean that you should.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Just because you can do it better doesn’t mean you should

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that just because you can do something better than someone else doesn’t always mean that you should.

I have learned a lot about this from the independence of my two-year-old granddaughter. She is at the age and stage when she constantly wants to do things by herself. Just about anything that I am trying to do, from washing the dishes to responding to an email on the computer, she will jump in front of me and insist that she do it. Things that used to be done for her, like putting on socks and shoes, she has now become determined to do on her own. While this is adorable, it also brings challenges. Some of those things she is not yet able to do, and so it can be frustrating for both her and me when she refuses any help or won’t let someone else do it, even though it is something that is beyond her capability to do at this point in time. Other things she is able to do, but it takes a long time to be done, and generally not very neatly, and if I am not intentionally recognizing the importance of her learning in the process, it can be a challenge of patience.

This, then, begs the question of whether or not I should just jump in and take over. If I did, it would avoid the frustrations, and everything would get done quicker and better, with less mess. However, there would also be some incredibly valuable learning opportunities that would be missed. First, she would miss the opportunity to learn from failure. Second, she would miss the opportunity to grow in the struggle. Both of those are necessary in her development if she is going to learn to thrive and succeed well.

The same two things are true for anyone in any kind of work or endeavor, and therefore, they need to help frame the way you view these circumstances:

  1. Failure is necessary for learning. When we make it unsafe to fail, people. (and kids) don’t learn from their failures, they don’t gain an understanding of facing and navigating risk, and their ability to handle failure and loss diminishes. If failure is avoided enough times, then any potential obstacle will lead to quitting or defeat.
  2. Struggle is necessary for growth. Just like exercising your body or exercising your brain, struggle is required in order to make progress. But struggle doesn’t happen when the task is easy and you don’t have to work at it. That means that initially it’s going to take longer and not be done as well, but as strength and skill increase, so does the outcome.

Having spent over 30 years in education, too often I have seen parents rescue their children from academic or social failure, and what those children learn is that they will never have to experience failure because someone will rescue them. But then the day comes when they do experience failure for the first time, no one is there to rescue them, and they are not equipped to handle it. They would’ve been much better prepared for navigating life successfully if they had been allowed to struggle and fail and experience the frustration and consequences of those things in order to grow and learn.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from my granddaughter forcefully insisting that she needs to try to do something by herself without any help. People need to experience failure so that they can learn from it, and they need to experience struggle so they can grow. Therefore, even if you could do it better, sometimes it is better to let someone else do it, knowing that it will make a mess. Be willing to do that. They will learn, they will grow, and you will both be better served in the long run.

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