Lead By Example

I would certainly not consider myself a great leader. In fact, I still have much to learn in that arena. But there is one philosophy that I practice which, in my opinion, all leaders should live by and that is this: There is NOTHING that I ask my staff to do that I wouldn't do myself.

We have a small staff at the Chamber; an office of four women, including myself. Due to vacation schedules and time off, I was the only one at the office today. That meant that I had to answer the phones and help any walk-in visitors, which I am more than happy to do even when we have a full staff. In addition to customer service, I also did some bookkeeping, changed the sign on the outdoor board, put together a mailer and signed up a new member today. These tasks are not usually part of my day, and they didn't really have to be done today - I could have waited for everyone to get back to take care of those items. But I wanted to help them, just like they would be willing to help me. It also was a test for me to see how well I knew the details of what goes on at the Chamber in any given day. I would say that I passed with flying colors.

Although I wouldn't want to fly solo everyday, I enjoyed the experience. And it looks like it won't be the last time this summer that my skills will be put to the test. But I am now up for the challenge.