Many years ago I was hired for a seasonal position at Disneyland. I was in college at the time, so it was a perfect job for me because my work schedule was only during the times when I didn’t have school. I could go away for college and know that each time I came home for holidays and breaks, I had a job waiting for me. The first day of orientation made an impression on me, one which has stuck with me for decades. The room was filled with a whole lot of people just like me who were seasonal employees, plus a few that were full-time, but the orientation applied to anyone who was about to join the Disney family. One of the very first things that the trainer said to us was something that I will never forget. He said, “You need to understand, that at Disney, we work while others play. It’s just part of the job.” That seemed easy enough to understand and soon I was living that statement, because for the next few years, I was working in the park every holiday, school break, and summer vacation. I was constantly surrounded by people who were having a great time with their family and friends playing in the park, while I was working to serve them. That was a fantastic lesson in leadership.
Recently I was talking with someone about what it takes for us to be leaders of people today, particularly with volunteers. I was reminded that leaders often are the first to arrive and the last to leave an event, meeting, or program. Leaders are the ones who have to make sure everything is prepared ahead of time, and often even do the clean-up. Leaders, especially servant-leaders, are the ones responsible to make sure that others are being taken care of. In other words, leaders must work so that others can play!
There are some (who really aren’t leaders), who think that being a leader means being able to tell everyone else what to do and leave the premises. I even heard someone (who isn’t a leader) say that’s why they wanted to be “in charge.” However, any of us who have been entrusted with leading others fully understand that being a leader really requires that we be fully engaged in the entire process of whatever activity we are doing with the people who look to us. Leadership involves delegation and direction, but not to the point that we become absent. Our attendance is always required in some way. Leadership is not a tell-others-what-to-do and call-the-rest-in type of proposition. Not one bit.
A long time ago I was told about someone who actually justified their non-attendance during the after-event-clean-up efforts because they “didn’t want to deprive others of the blessings that come to those who clean up”!!! That’s not leadership, that’s laziness. I am a committed servant-leader. I will never ask anyone to do something that I am not willing to do myself. And, when I ask, I’m always there to help. That’s what I believe is leadership. If we want to continue to have the privilege of leading others, we must be willing to do the things that others don’t want to do. We must be willing to put our own needs aside and serve others so that they can benefit. We work, so others can play. That’s just part of the job.
Lead well.