Have you ever stopped in front of a building and watched the interactions at the door?
I was walking out of a convenience store the other day, as a man moving slowly with a cane was approaching – my natural thought was then to step out and hold the door for this older gentlemen. That is when I thought of this episode.
You see, some people hurry through the door. Others hold the door for the people behind them. What makes you decide to hold the door for the people behind you?
When we hold the door for others, it makes it easier for them to get through. It makes things flow more quickly, not always for you, but for those coming behind you. And in most cases, you get a, “Thank you.” And if there are more people… there are more thank you’s. So… by doing the right thing for someone else, it also makes you feel good, even if only for a moment.
What other interactions take place. How about not holding the door for the next person, why is that? Maybe we are in a hurry to get to where we are going, and it makes the action less significant, and the person behind us not as important as our current mission.
Similar interactions take place at elevators, escalators, and in parking lots. People have a split second to make a decision to be courteous, and helpful to the success of others – or they can be short and worried about themselves. And in most cases, when someone is worried about themselves, do they get to the destination any faster… NO! But they end up at the destination at the same time as the person they cut off, just to feel frustrated and sometimes embarrassed – because that person that was in the tail… they are standing next to you – staring at you with a smile. 😊
So this philosophy also relates to success, for yourself and others. When you have people coming to the point that you are at in business, or skillset – “hold the door” for them. Sometimes you start a conversation along the journey – and you make a new friend in the process. You see that they are further along in some areas and can return the favor, and hold the door for you.
Leadership is doing the right things at the front, being courteous, kind, caring, and as much as I say you should be in the front with your people – when it’s the right thing to let them go first – you have to have the wisdom to know that.
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