I’m not sure it gets any better than the joy I felt watching my daughters grow up. All three of them are in their 30s now and focused on being great contributors to society. My middle daughter has blessed us with my first grandchild, a little fellow named Charles III (aka Little Charlie). He’s 12 now and prefers “Charles,” but these stories come from his toddler years. We’ve enjoyed many Easter weekends with him, his mother, and my other two daughters. As I reflect on the time he and I’ve spent together, I’m reminded of three fundamental business principles that still shape how I lead.
- Keep it simple.
- Smile more often.
- Offer help when someone needs you.
Lesson 1: Keep Communication Simple
For Little Charlie, one word was enough to express what he wanted. When he wanted to crawl or walk on his own but I had him in my arms, he’d look me in the eyes and simply say “downnnnn” — almost like he was singing it. When I set him down, he took off! Message sent, message received.
I contrast his simple, effective communication with the times I did the opposite and handed my team a string of directions. Early in my leadership career, I didn’t always communicate in the way that worked best for each individual — even though it seemed right in the moment. As I progressed, I learned that when I kept my message simple, I rarely had to repeat it. One word won’t always work in a business environment, but neither will a dozen directions in a single conversation. The happy medium gets the job done. If you want a message to be received, understood, and acted upon, it doesn’t need to be complex. Keep it simple.
Lesson 2: Smile More Often at Work
In the photo, Little Charlie is just 15 months old, and it’s hard to remember a time when he wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t much of a complainer; even when he bumped himself, he was smiling again moments later. As I reflect on my career, I recall many times when smiling made a difference. I began my corporate life as a repair clerk, answering repair requests directly from subscribers whose phones weren’t working. Some of them were angry! I noticed that when I smiled during our conversation, they could somehow ‘hear my smile’, and sometimes the call went better. Sometimes!
When I became a network manager of installation and repair technicians at the same company, I reminded my team to find reasons to smile throughout the day. This was primarily to strengthen their attitude, but their smile also had a positive effect on both internal and external customers. There were also many times when I should have smiled more and, for whatever reason, didn’t. Looking back at why certain days or interactions didn’t go smoothly, I had to admit my lack of a smile may have set the tone. Since then, I’ve made it a point to smile more.
Sometimes my daughter would surprise me and bring Little Charlie into my home office. More often than not, I was intently pecking away at the computer and didn’t realize they’d entered the room. When my daughter tapped me on the shoulder or called my name and I turned around, my grandson was smiling at me. Seeing him smile instantly put me in a better mood. He was happy, my daughter was happy that we were happy, and the energy in the room rose.
You have the same transformative effect when you walk into your workplace or home with a genuine smile. I recall reading somewhere that it takes fewer facial muscles to smile than to frown, and I believe that. I also believe I’d rather have a face full of smile lines than frown lines. Little Charlie reminded me to smile more often.
Lesson 3: Offer Help When Someone Needs You
We became empty nesters when the last of our three daughters began her adult life away from home. No more PTA potluck dinners to volunteer for. No more prom dresses to buy. No more kids playing high school or college sports.
When Little Charlie came over to visit, the void filled, and he became the singular focus of the household. Yes, even our family dog became more energetic! Back then, Little Charlie needed us to change him, feed him, and try to keep pace with him until he tired and was ready for a nap. We paid close attention to his progress and process, so we typically knew when he was hungry versus when he needed to be changed.
In business settings, there are people who need us, too. While they don’t need us to change them literally, we help ‘change’ them figuratively by adjusting their perspective to focus on the positive side of their daily experiences. I’m reminded of a time I was moved to go deeper and offer a direct solution to an immediate need.
One of our technicians seemed uncharacteristically quiet during one of our morning meetings. This was a guy who normally had a good word for everyone and was typically smiling. We finished our morning huddle, and everyone left the office to begin their installation and repair routes. I visited this technician later that morning at one of his repair calls to see if there was an issue I could help resolve or if he just needed to talk. He reluctantly told me the electricity to his home would be disconnected unless he came up with the money by 5 p.m. that day. He had exhausted all his financial options and didn’t want to bring it up to his co-workers.
He was one of our best people and a great teammate. I offered to help, and he promptly refused. He didn’t want a handout. After our long conversation, he realized that I considered my offer to be a loan, not a gift. He accepted my help, and we’re still friends to this day. I’m not sure what prompted me to make such an offer, other than realizing someone I cared about needed help and I was in a position to provide it. This was a human need in a business setting. Little Charlie didn’t always know how to ask for help, and the same holds true for many professionals. Let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities to help and mentor the people we care about — perhaps when they need us most.
I always enjoyed my grandson’s visits. I was continually amazed at how much he’d learned since we’d last been together, and I looked forward to the next lesson Little Charlie would teach me.
Who knows — perhaps he’ll grow up to be an educator like his grandpa.
Which business fundamentals have your kids or grandkids reminded you of lately? Share your story in the comments — and for more leadership and career advancement tips, explore the rest of the Career Advancement Tips & Advice section.
