Walking into the restaurant, my eyes locked with a lady sitting at a table with a mound of receipts in front of her. We smiled at each other. She was dressed in the garb of the workers, all in black. Her red hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Suddenly I had an intense urge to hug her. I walked over and said: “Hi, I need a hug.” She got up and chuckled: “I need a hug too!” I replied, “I know.” We hugged.
Then she shared with me that her husband is in the hospital. She was with him until 5:30 a.m. that morning and came directly into work. She was tired. I insisted that we hug again. I asked her for her name and her husband’s name. I told her that I would pray for them on my prayer line. She smiled at me, grasped my hand and thanked me. At that point another waitress came to seat my companion and me at a table. Not long after, I saw my hugger leaving.
I don’t know what prompted me to give her that needed hug. There I was tired from hosting an event for 118 people at the Division A Toastmasters Contests. I was drained and hungry because I hadn’t eaten all day. When I walked into that restaurant I was thinking about eating then going home to rest. I believe the Universal Spirit moved in me to show compassion towards my fellow hugger, but my leadership skills gave me the courage to approach her in the right way.
Leadership is about getting things done and inspiring others to do the things you need done. It is about being a visionary, being decisive and being strong in completing the vision. But it is also about being compassionate towards others. If you are not a compassionate leader, chances are you won’t have many people following you for too long. Showing that you care about others goes a long way in leadership. Add some compassion to your leadership bag today!
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