By Nat Crawford
"When we allow ourselves to exist truly and fully, we sting the world with our vision and challenge it with our own ways of being." ~ Thomas Moore
We live in a culture of "cookie cutters." It can be difficult to be different, almost like a fish swimming upstream. Let me encourage you. If you are to be a top-notch leader, you must be different. Great leaders are not necessarily geniuses or technically advanced. They are prepared and willing to face opposition on the road to greatness. This is a sign of excellence that inspires others to impeccable performance.
Barbaa Glanz, national speaker and author, had the privilege of speaking to 3,000 workers of a supermarket chain. Barbara told the attendees to "put a personal signature on the job." One of the attendees was a young, down-syndrome boy named Johnny. Johnny was a bagger for the supermarket. Johnny didn't know what he could do, so Johnny thought hard about his signature.
That night he found his signature. With some help from his dad, Johnny printed a thought of the day on sheets of paper. He cut the quotes out so he could easily slip them into the bags he filled. He created new thoughts every night after work.
One day the manager came to the front of the store to see a huge line in Johnny's lane. The manager called for back up but the people wouldn't budge. They told the manager they wanted Johnny's thought of the day. An elderly lady who shopped only once per week, now stopped in everyday to get the piece of encouragement.
Johnny changed the shopping habits of their customers, and inspired his co-workers to create their signature and take ownership of their work. Johnny is a true leader of excellence.
How can you put your signature in your work?
Labels: barbara glanz, cookie cutter, culture, excellence, johnny the bagger, leadership. cornerstone leadership solutions, resistence, signature, thomas moore, unique
