Turn Your Desk Around: A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman

Turn Your Desk Around
When I was preparing to leave
my job managing over 80 people,
an employee stopped by my
office to say goodbye.
A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman
© 2013 Clear Picture Leadership® All rights reserved.

He said, “Jon when you became
the boss, I was impressed with
something you did.”

Who doesn’t love a compliment?
So I gladly prepared to welcome
his thoughts.

Maybe he’s going to talk about how
we accomplished record-breaking
goals.

Maybe he’s going to comment
on one of the many initiatives
we started.

Maybe he’s going to talk about the
first-of-its-kind national conference
we put on.

He did not mention any of these
things.

Instead, he said, “When you came
onboard and reorganized your
office, the first thing you did was
turn your desk around so that
your back would not face the
door.”

What???!!! I thought to myself, “Out
of all the things we accomplished,
he’s talking about the arrangement of
furniture?

Is he kidding? Maybe he would be
equally impressed with the color
of my office chairs.

And – hey – I’m not even going to
mention the quality of my stapler.
Once he realized that, he would
be floored!”

After I stopped being silly, I became
surprised that he remembered
something so small that occurred
three years ago.

He then explained how that one small
act showed him that I cared about
people. To him (and I’m sure to other
employees as well) this represented
respect.

It ensured that employees would see
my face – as opposed to my back –
whenever they dropped by my office
or were merely walking by it.

While turning my desk around did
not mean a lot to me, that one small
act meant everything to him.

This experience taught me a
powerful leadership principle. One
of the first things leaders should
do is show their team members
that they care about them.

I’m not talking about feigning
concern. I’m talking about a true,
genuine regard for humanity and
an ardent respect for your team.

Every act, no matter how small, can
go a long way in accomplishing this.

(CEOs and other executives, here is
a tip: Avoid promoting someone into
a leadership role solely because they
are good at their job.

In addition to competence, look for
those who have displayed leadership
qualities, including a genuine concern
for their colleagues).

Yes, you too may need to “turn your
desk around.”

To you, this may mean smiling to your
employees more often. Maybe it means
asking them how they are doing and
listening to their responses.

Maybe “turning your desk around”
means stopping by their office or
cubicle just to say hello.

Maybe it means placing a thank you
note on their desk for a job well done.

Maybe it means volunteering to
make restaurant reservations for
their upcoming birthday lunch with
a friend.

If you want your team to accomplish
great things, you must first show
them that you truly care.

Why is it so important for leaders to show
their team members that they respect and
care about them? Please share your
thoughts on this by adding a comment
below.
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Featured Fine Art Photography
Jonathan Michael Bowman is an attorney and keynote leadership
speaker. As President & CEO of Clear Picture Leadership®, he
educates and inspires leaders to achieve a bold vision despite the
obstacles. He is also a fine art photographer and uses his images
during his presentations as a graphic metaphor to illustrate key
points. Reach out and contact Jonathan today.
Website: www.ClearPictureLeadership.com
Email: Jon@ClearPictureLeadership.com
Phone: 614.657.4295

Turn Your Desk Around: A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman

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