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How often have you heard, "You want me to do what? Get someone else!" When you feel you're too important to help in some menial, but necessary task, you're only fooling yourself. You will never be exempt from the mundane. The upside is: that's what helps to build character to make you a stronger leader. My father used to say, "Son, no matter what you do in life whether it's mopping a floor on up to leading men in the military, if you should die doing it, they should be able to say it was your finest hour." As a result, my attitude became, "Do you want me to chair the meeting or set up the chairs for the meeting?" I encourage you to adopt that attitude and adapt it to your everyday life. Some call that "servant leadership." It worked for me and it will work for you. That process helped me eventually get my dream job. It doesn't matter the size of the task. That's not relevant. The question is, "Does it need to be done?" Are you the one in a position to do it? If so, get busy. We would all like prestige assignments and jobs, but life "ain't" always cooperative that way. In a recent episode of The Apprentice, one of the candidates refused to carry out a task that she thought was beneath her. Her team lost and she was fired because of that attitude. When you find yourself in a situation such as that, step up and accept the challenge graciously (remember my father's advice). People are watching, both up and down the line and they are all in a position to propel your career. But, don't do it for that reason. Do it because it's right. Small seemingly insignificant tasks are opportunities to show the size of your character. These tasks are dues you're paying for recognition to finally come your way. How? Watch the U.S. Tennis Open some time and see young players serve the ball over 100 miles per hour into a small area over 30 feet away. You'll see an example of how little tasks helped them graduate to bigger tasks that translated into impressive skills, recognition and monetary rewards. Long before they served that first ball in a championship match they practiced small, seemingly insignificant tasks to become better at what they do. Unlike many less serious players they didn't start out just hitting the ball. For hours on end, day after day, month after month they practiced throwing the ball up about two feet in front of them and high enough so that their racquet would come over the top at the apex. They did this time after time before ever even swinging a racquet at it. I know of one player, in order to perfect the toss, would wear a blindfold and practice for hours just throwing the ball up so that it became so automatic he could do it in the dark. Those small, seemingly insignificant tasks, coupled with many others, when put together spelled championship status for those willing to do the drudge work. Leadership is a lot like that. How do you practice leadership? You take every task, no matter how small and approach it like it's the most important task you'll ever get. Those exercises will help you make good leadership almost automatic. They will lead to recognition and rewards that others, with a self image that they are too "cool" to be so disciplined and motivated, only dream about. Your servant leader's heart is revealed in little acts, done without fanfare or expectations, that others generally don't think of or wouldn't want to do. Rick Warren, in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" states, "Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things." May you have many little tasks that lead to big successes. ©2006 Real Leaders Institute, LLC
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