Grinding for Greatness
“Before we too can move mountains, we must learn to walk the daily grind, one quiet step at a time. We must learn to serve before we can lead.” Sebastien Richard
Matt worked hard to be a leader on his team. He listened to his boss, excelled in his work, and achieved great success by producing high-end results. Matt showed up to work on time, displayed a good team attitude by doing the work as needed to accomplish the boss’ objectives. Matt walked the daily grind well and excelled at achieving excellent results on his own.
Soon, Matt’s boss retired, and he applied for the supervisor job, and he got it. He now oversaw eight people on his team. The job skills he used to succeed as a worker on his own were not the same skills he needed to lead a team successfully. Suddenly Matt found himself face-to-face with the momentous task of leading a team of people; to coordinate the individual skills, weaknesses, and varied attitudes of eight different individuals while accomplishing an overall goal of excellence. Matt quickly became aware of the many challenges faced when leading a team rather than just himself.
This profound quote by Sebastien Richard emphasizes the importance of humility, perseverance, and service on the path to leadership and achieving great things, not simply good things. It underscores the idea that meaningful change and progress often seem unattainable and too difficult to tackle. It reminds us that true success requires consistent effort and dedication, starting with small, incremental steps and a willingness to serve others before assuming leadership roles. Leadership is about serving, not being served.
As a new supervisor Matt was forced to learn how to capture this fundamental principle of leadership. True leadership involves serving others, putting their needs and interests before one’s own, and working towards the greater good of the team. Matt worked hard to prioritize his team over self-interest, inspiring trust, loyalty, and respect among those he led. He began coaching his team, empowering them, and inspiring their belief in themselves. Matt’s new skills included how to foster a positive and collaborative environment where everyone can succeed.
The grind is real at all levels of the organization. The skills that gave Matt success as a worker were not the same skills he needed to lead well. Matt spent time getting mentored by his boss and several other leaders. He learned not to take his eye off the ball of customer priorities. He learned how to serve his team members daily in a way that allowed them to be personally successful long-term, not just corrected in the moment. Matt began moving his mountain slowly, one day at a time.
Grinding for greatness!
Jeff
