Serve To Lead

Just like many of the shops and restaurants in Spain, come 2pm, they take a break. Maybe they’ll open back up at 6pm….or maybe they won’t? Siesta is taken seriously by those that practice it and after spending time observing how it’s actually a boundary created to protect time of self care, I have a new respect for it. I guess that’s what I did. Again, just immersing in the culture huh? I never finished up the two other points I wanted to make that the city of Ronda inspired in me.

But before I can go on, I have to mention how inspiring the whole of my experience in Spain was. I found a new conviction by God there, and gained some answers and direction I’d been seeking as well. It was truly transcending. So much so that I couldn’t help but weep each time I stepped into a new cathedral I’d not seen. The overwhelming feeling of inadequacy was nearly palpable. I continued to ask God to, “lead me down a path in which I can bring you glory in the same way the builders of this structure celebrated you.” There are not enough newsletters and not a turn of phrase that can capture the beauty of the landscapes, people, and culture of Spain. I have decided that if I cannot be in Spain, then Spain will be in me. The kindness of the people we encountered, much like the breeze off of the Mediterranean at sunset on the beach in Marbella, was a breath of fresh air. But also their clarity and direct tone and temperament. When greeted by a waiter or waitress, whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, their go to introduction was simply, “Dime,” or “tell me.” Anywhere in the US you get the waiter’s life story and a run down of the 5 page menu. Nope, not in España. Tell me what you want and I can either get it or I can’t. When siesta rolls around, “Estamos cerrado,” we’re closed. Not an apology or exception because you complain, cerrado means cerrado whether you like it or not. But it was delivered with kindness even while direct. They weren’t rude when taking your order, just to the point. And that’s how simple I’d like to make today’s lessons.

Previously the points made were to keep your vision attainable and inspiring and to simply, yet enthusiastically communicate it for the people you lead. Today I offer you the simplicity of a cafe con leche and the puente nuevo, a really big bridge. Simple enough right? Let me add in some context in order to deliver just how simple leadership is when done correctly. Have you ever been behind someone at a coffee shop when their order sounded like it would take half the store’s ingredients to make it? There are videos, memes, and even funny songs about such ridiculous coffee creations. Some people try to make leadership sound and look just as complicated.

That’s not to say that leading is not complex, it is. Cafe con leche. That’s it. Coffee. With. Milk. The sugar is optional, but the taste is unforgettable. The price is as well. I spent $30 on 3 coffees yesterday now that I’m state side again. In Spain I could get 3 cafes con leche for less than $5. The point here is that leading the people in your organization isn’t hyper complicated. But it does require some careful consideration. You can’t immediately grab hold of a cafe con leche because it’ll melt your face off. It’s meant to be savored not slammed.

Cafe con leche is bold, aromatic, and full of flavor, but it’s still coffee with some milk in it. Is your leadership too complicated? Do you try to implement new strategies every week before finding out if the previous one even worked? Are you instilling too many protocols for you and your organization to keep up with? Your recipe for leadership could be beginning to look like a grande, half-caff, extra foam on the dome, latte, frap, cup of crap! It’s time to simplify. Try leading in the same manner that you’d drink a cafe con leche, by sipping. Implement one strategy for 2-3 sub-environments/realms within your organization. Start with the people you lead and how they perceive their value to you and your organization. If they don’t feel valued, they won’t follow you. What protocols do you have in place for that?

Next, address how they lead each other. Are they competing against each other with cut throat strategies, or is there a sense of community? Do they celebrate one another’s success while also holding each other accountable? I have a whole other story to tell regarding community but I’m saving that one for another day. Lastly, how do you interact with them? What are your relationship building strategies? These steps are simple, careful sips. And as you meet the people you lead where they are, they’ll take more “sips” of your leadership eventually leading them to complete buy-in and asking for, “uno cafe mas porfavor.”

The Puente Nuevo. It’s a bridge with 2 pillars and 3 arches that uses the sides of a gorge to stabilize on each side. Simple, effective, & absolutely stunning. 390 feet from the gorge floor to the top of the bridge. But the trick with the Puente Nuevo is that you can’t get a good look at it from on top of the bridge or even along the top of the gorge in the plaza. No, no, no, you have to make the decent down into the gorge to get the million dollar view. The only problem with that is that you then have to walk back up the entire 390 feet to the plaza at the top in the old town. And let me tell you, that is worth every wheezing, out of breath, lung burning, leg aching step. That’s the same with a vision for your organization. Standing at the trailhead and knowing what beauty is waiting for you at the end is what inspires the climb. This is what you have to gain buy in for.

The vision we create for our people and organizations must be inspiring. We must gain trust and buy in first before we ask people to make this climb with us. We have to convince them we’ll be there every oxygen sucking step. There will be breaks and it will be difficult, but we’ll do it together. And what you’ll accomplish together will be worth every step and drop of sweat. Have you created a vision that is inspiring? Have you earned trust? Do you have buy-in?

1- Keep your leadership simple and prioritize relationships and accountability.

2 - Create a vision that is inspiring, and then maximize the relationships you’ve built to start doing the hard work. The payoff is worth it.

Thank you Ronda, in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain for the lessons, the beauty, and the cafe. I hope you build relationships this week that strengthen you as a person, and that strengthen someone else. I pray that you inspire those you lead and help them be better versions of themselves because you believe in them. Have a blessed week familia.