Recently, my shower had a slow drip that I spent way too long trying to fix. Not only did the annoying drip-drip sound drive me crazy, but my shower also was never able to fully dry. Here’s the thing with slow shower drips that I find incredible: a single, continuous drip has the ability to completely soak a shower over time. This small drip of the water would land on the hard tile floor and splash everywhere. I’m no water or plumbing expert, but it seems that the continuous drip would compound, each drip causing the water to spread further and further into the shower. The seemingly small impact of a single drip performed over and over again had an all-encompassing impact on the environment.
It’s just like this when it comes to leadership. You as a leader have hundreds of opportunities each day to drip-drip-drip vision, mission, and purpose to your people and customers. With every conversation, email, phone call, and interaction, you are dripping some sort of leadership. Over time, the slow drip of leadership envelopes your entire team, customers, and organization.
For some, this is a huge problem.
We often think of leadership in big terms: the big speech, the monumental decision, the vision-casting meeting, big goal setting, the list goes on. We assume that our leadership will be weighed and tested by those moments, but just how often do these moments come along? Sure, famous historical figures are often mentioned alongside huge accomplishments, but unless Stephen Colbert and Taylor Swift or other famous people are reading this (if you are, hit me up, let’s talk!), most likely, you will be weighed and tested by your day-to-day interactions with your people. If you aren’t aware of the impact of your day-to-day interactions, the results could be disastrous.
So the big question is: what does your slow drip feel like to those around you?
When people are around you, what are they experiencing from you?
Do they feel a greater sense of purpose?
Do they feel appreciated and cared for?
Or do they feel put out and bothersome? Like they are just holding you down?
When we lack awareness of the power of our slow drip, we tend to allow our actions and words to run wild. We ignore the potency of an authentic, intentional relationship with our people and start to assume that our daily interactions with others don’t count the same as the big ones. Within each moment, you have the opportunity to pass along knowledge, leadership, and purpose to your people, so take advantage of it!
Here are a few ways you can utilize the slow drip in your leadership today:
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Weigh your words
Every word counts. Think about the times you’ve been hurt by somebody’s words. Usually, it’s a careless, off-hand comment that makes us burn with anger all night long. Similarly, it’s usually a single phrase or concept that unlocks a deadlocked-issue for you or inspires you to something bigger. Don’t throw away your words, but be thoughtful and measured in how we speak with others.
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Be present with your people
If you are to drip-drip wisely, you need to do so while being fully present with your people. Too often, we are quick to dive into our smartphones when sitting around with people, but this only serves as a distraction. Invest yourself fully in the experience with your people by having good eye contact, listening not to respond but to understand, having good body language, and giving them more time than usual. Then, your slow drip will have a real opportunity to shine.
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Look for opportunities for a “bigger splash”
When you watch a great movie, the climactic scene is often the most emotionally moving: you’ve spent an hour and a half to two hours investing yourself in the film, so when the payoff hits, it hits you HARD. But what if you aren’t as engaged, or aren’t even paying attention? Would the payoff be there for you? It’s likely that you’d miss the gravity of the scene and it would fall flat for you. As you are present with your people, fully engaged, listening, and conversing, you will naturally encounter moments to share a bigger piece of the puzzle. Much like coming upon the climactic scene of a movie, as you are investing yourself in your interactions with others, you will come upon a moment where the slow drip gets turned up to a steady stream. At this moment, you can let loose with a powerful declaration of meaning and purpose, of vision and mission, of leadership that drives your people to the next level. It isn’t forced, but a natural part of the conversation. By remaining present with your people, you can identify these natural points that allow for a bigger splash.
Whether you like it or not, you as a leader always have a slow drip. Consider the impact of your slow drip and work to intentionally shape it to match your mission, vision, and purpose.
If you aren’t sure how to make this work or want help processing what these means for you, send me a message today and let’s talk.
Oh, and FYI: my shower is finally fixed!