Lessons From a Sandwich Artist
I used to be a sandwich artist. Don’t laugh, it’s true. My first real job was making Subway sandwiches in a gas station in Sherman, TX and I have to say to date, it was the best job I ever had. Let me tell you why.
Do you remember your first job? If it was anything like mine, you were elbow deep in mayo and bread dough on top of dealing with an ungrateful customer that could care less about you as a human. Now how does an emotionally taxing environment such as that turn into the workplace utopia that I so fondly remember? It lies solely in the efforts of the two women that managed me, Diep and Jenny.
They didn’t have impressive degrees or lots of experience or any strategic plan to whip the teenage rabble that they managed into shape. But they did understand the one thing that will produce success when you have people under you. The difference between a manager and a leader.
Mangers know that they are excellent at the job that they are teaching you to do. When they walk into a room you know it and know that they are in charge. They spend lots of time organizing and directing their staff and the focus is on them and their skills that they bring to the table.
Leaders are also excellent at the job that they are teaching you to do, but they let you discover truth yourself instead of telling you how it is. They are not in it for the glory. So when they walk into the room, they will blend into the crowd. The focus for leaders is their employees and are comfortable letting the spotlight fall on them.
The distinction between the two can have a tremendous impact on your staff. Diep and Jenny were leaders hands down. They set a great example for me that I still try to emulate until this day.
Now, one of the best things about this story is that those women still impact my life today and they ran a gas station. Point being, you don’t have to be a manager in a huge company or even in a leadership position to be a person of influence. Look around you and be more mindful of people you encounter. Try to practice leadership characteristics and not management in your daily walk. I bet you are surprised how influential of a person you really are and didn’t know it when people start thanking you for the impact your have made.
So lesson for the day, find a leader in your life that you respect and spend as much time as you can with them. Be a leader to someone in your life and spend as much time as you can with them. And be nicer to your sandwich artist next time you go to Subway.
Do you remember your first job? If it was anything like mine, you were elbow deep in mayo and bread dough on top of dealing with an ungrateful customer that could care less about you as a human. Now how does an emotionally taxing environment such as that turn into the workplace utopia that I so fondly remember? It lies solely in the efforts of the two women that managed me, Diep and Jenny.
They didn’t have impressive degrees or lots of experience or any strategic plan to whip the teenage rabble that they managed into shape. But they did understand the one thing that will produce success when you have people under you. The difference between a manager and a leader.
Mangers know that they are excellent at the job that they are teaching you to do. When they walk into a room you know it and know that they are in charge. They spend lots of time organizing and directing their staff and the focus is on them and their skills that they bring to the table.
Leaders are also excellent at the job that they are teaching you to do, but they let you discover truth yourself instead of telling you how it is. They are not in it for the glory. So when they walk into the room, they will blend into the crowd. The focus for leaders is their employees and are comfortable letting the spotlight fall on them.
The distinction between the two can have a tremendous impact on your staff. Diep and Jenny were leaders hands down. They set a great example for me that I still try to emulate until this day.
Now, one of the best things about this story is that those women still impact my life today and they ran a gas station. Point being, you don’t have to be a manager in a huge company or even in a leadership position to be a person of influence. Look around you and be more mindful of people you encounter. Try to practice leadership characteristics and not management in your daily walk. I bet you are surprised how influential of a person you really are and didn’t know it when people start thanking you for the impact your have made.
So lesson for the day, find a leader in your life that you respect and spend as much time as you can with them. Be a leader to someone in your life and spend as much time as you can with them. And be nicer to your sandwich artist next time you go to Subway.
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