Profiles in Being Seen: The Fast Flat Fix

Clark Backus, an executive at a global insurance company, had a problem.

It was 8am. He had back-to-back meetings starting at 8:30am. And he noticed the air on his tire was low.

He didn't know if it was just that he needed more air, if there was a hole or what was going on. He brought his car into the Firestone dealer. He figured that whatever the situation, he'd be there a while. He settled in with his laptop, prepared to call into his first meeting from the waiting room.

An hour later, the technicians were done.

Clark couldn't believe it. He was going to make his next meeting. In person. What a relief!

Most of us would say thanks, pay the cashier at the counter, and keep moving.

That is not what Clark did.

He walked back over to the repair area, took two minutes out of his limited time to talk to the technicians. He looked them in the eyes. And he told them — precisely, in detail — about the impact their work had on him.

He explained that his team was waiting for him to provide his comments on a program that would impact that entire organization and they were on a tight deadline. They were counting on him to be at the meeting so that they could make his changes quickly and without error. 

Now, thanks to these mechanics, he could do that in person. And, he felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders. 

The mechanics looked at him a little strangely.

"Wow, thanks for taking the time to come over here to acknowledge us. People don't usually do that."

Clark smiled, shook their hands and added, “Your work ethic shows and makes a difference.”

Clark wasn't their manager. He had no formal role in their lives. But he did something I've been thinking about a lot lately: he gave those mechanics a window into what their work made possible — beyond the tire — for the people on the other side of it. 

Two minutes. Eye contact. Specific words about broader impact. 

That's leadership. Without a title. Without a meeting. Without a strategic plan.

A technician at a Firestone garage in Orlando went home that day knowing exactly why what he did that morning mattered to a guy named Clark and to a lot of other people.

Maybe he felt a little more pride than usual.

Maybe he passed that on to someone else.

We don't know. We rarely do.

We don't always get to see the difference we make.

That's not a reason to stop.

It's the whole reason to start.

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When did someone last tell you the specific positive impact you had on them? I’d love for us to share these stories with each other. We need them more than ever now. 

Lori    

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