When No One is Looking

We all have parts of our jobs or lives that we don’t really like doing. Maybe it is cleaning the toilet or posting receipts for your expense report. Maybe you don’t like resolving conflicts, or you absolutely hate dusting. Whether you like it or not, you have to do these things as they are your responsibility. In some cases you could pay someone else to do them, which lets you off the hook. In other cases you could turn a blind eye and pretend you forgot and simply not do them. Or you can suck it up and do them whether you like to or not.

I passed this hotel employee cleaning the corners of the lobby overhang. When I walked by he laughed and said, “I don’t know if anyone would ever notice if I didn’t do this.” He smiled, laughed again, and kept on doing it with all his energy. I turned the corner and looked back, he was still at it even though no one was watching. This little interchange reminded me that leadership is not about what you do in front of the group, it’s what you are wiling to do when no one is looking. Leadership is being willing to do the jobs, tasks, or processes you are asking your team to complete…even if they never see you doing them.

So many people think leadership means being charismatic, energetic, passionate and getting people to follow. And that is all true. For some leaders we have seen where what they do behind the scenes when they think no one is looking is what REALLY reveals their ability to lead. Their lack of character and integrity is the reason they fail as leaders, even though they are charismatic, energetic, and passionate. Somewhere along their journey they forgot that what they do behind the scenes says more about who they are than the persona we see in the limelight. Somehow they think they are immune or above doing the invisible elements of life.

Today you may have a task or to do item that you really don’t want to do. You may have something you would rather not do, especially because no one would know about it but you. Aren’t you important enough to live up to your own integrity and expectations? Isn’t your character enough to do whatever it takes to be proud of yourself for a job well done? The most important person you need to convince about your worthiness is you. The most important person for you to lead is you. Even when no one is looking, you are looking. So do what you don’t want to do anyway, be proud of yourself and your work ethic, and live secure in knowing that what you do behind the scenes would never come back to haunt you.