There are those coffee places I frequent. I already know what I like on the menu and hardly consult; I know what I’m going to order before walking through their doors.
I walked into one of those places today and got called out by the waitress. I didn’t know her but she told me enough about me to know she knew me. It turned out she was a friend of our (my wife’s & I) favorite waiter at the other franchise across town.
(I guess it’s also easy to remember Ingrid and I for some people because I’m coffee and she’s the creamer :-) )
A reminder that it matters how I carry myself no matter where I am. Some people think they can hide behind anonymity. Not so. This was a simple example that there are people around you that know and may not say anything.
Some know you and are looking to see if you’ll play the jerk. Of course, we shouldn’t be a particular way because people are watching. We should be who we are but not forget that how we carry ourselves can have more impact that we think.
Imagine this waitress was a potential business partner and had seen me elsewhere, where I was a jerk. Imagine how I carried myself on that one bad day was the only impression someone ever got before a second encounter…
Again, I’m reminded of a number of people I’ve met over the last few months that read this blog. They recognized me from my Twitter, Facebook and Google+ as well my likeness made easily visible here.
From all the people who say they follow my blog I could not deny they didn’t because they always talked about posts that challenged them and made them think.
How naive is it, in this age, for someone like me to even think that they’re unknown wherever they are? There are young leaders who look up to me. Someone of them I’ve never been introduced to but watch me from a distance.
This was also a reminder that I am not aware of all the lives that I impact. There are people watching from a distance and it matters how I carry myself even for their sake.
Have you ever been called out like I was? Your take?
Published via Pressgram
7 billion people on the planet. Do I really need to consider what all 7 billion think?
No, you don’t, but you might what to think carefully about being consistent as a matter of principle and character, for your own sake. Your own integrity. It is about your words and actions being one :-)