As a mom of many, my thousands of trips to the supermarket have taught me an important truth.The chances of my leaving at least one bag of groceries behind are pretty high. The chances of my retrieving what I’ve lost are just about zip.
So when I was leaving the supermarket, my attention quickly turned to a young man who whizzed by me yelling, “You left this behind!” High above his head he held a plastic bag containing a carton of eggs.
When it seemed he would lose his customer out the revolving front doors, he quickly shouted, “MOM! You left this!”
In an instant the woman had spun on her heels and was facing the young man. Realizing that a stranger was holding her grocery bag, she began to laugh, explaining that, for a second, she thought it was her son calling her, and that she always turns around when she hears “Mom!”
Most moms would agree, it’s instinctual.
Obviously, the young man had learned that lesson, as well, having observed that just about any mom will respond to that small but powerful word. With a big smile, and certainly happy to be of service, he still apologized for using the strategy saying, “Sorry for any disrespect, M’am. I just wanted to make sure you got your package!”
His sincerity, good humor and broad grin was infectious. Everyone within earshot was smiling.
As I drove home, I thought the incident would make a good piece about the devotion of being a mom, but as I set to writing, I decided the more meaningful story was about the young man, and his obvious potential for leadership.
Sure, he was all of about 19 years old, wearing oversized, low riding jeans and a baseball cap, but like the invisible, unique qualities of a flower still in the bud, the capacity for leadership resides unseen in the heart until it has the opportunity to bloom. And as any gardener knows, without the proper nurturing many flowers fade before the bud ever opens.
Good leaders are hard to find.
Leadership experts point out that among the many necessary traits of effective leadership is charisma, the ability to draw people to oneself. Unfortunately, writes leadership authority Dr. John C. Maxwell, all too many possess what he calls, “roadblocks to charisma.”
Maxwell identifies pride, insecurity, moodiness, perfectionism and cynicism as being obstacles, turning others away from a leader and impeding the ability to cultivate the “othermindedness” that is required of charisma.
My own experience has shown that pride is among the most damaging of qualities. As Maxwell states so simply, “Nobody wants to follow a leader who thinks he is better than everyone else.”
Certainly, we all know a few people who should keep that priceless piece of wisdom hanging near their desk.
“The first step to leadership is servanthood.” John Maxwell
SDG
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