Pancakes and Bacon

"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Jesus Christ

To serve or not to serve, that is the question. Recently, I was reminiscing with one of my former employees about some of the good times we had working together. We talked about a lot of different subjects, but one was especially memorable . . . Breakfast. He recalled with fondness how I used to make breakfast for all of the employees.

I remember the first time I made breakfast. I did not announce it. I got to the office about 6:00 in the morning, and by 7:00 breakfast was laid out on the table, ready for the first one to arrive. It took them totally by surprise. Each employee arrived, pleasantly surprised to find the unexpected aroma of freshly cooked pancakes and bacon. “What is the occasion?” they would ask. I told them it was my opportunity to serve and to say thank you to all those who contributed so much to my professional success and the success of the company.

I was well aware that I would not have achieved half of what I was able to accomplish without the help of my team. To show them my appreciation, it was one of my greatest pleasures to cook and serve breakfast for everyone. After all was said and done I would have prepared 4-5 pounds of bacon and flipped 70-100 pancakes. It was not hard work, but a labor of love.

As a leader it is important to do whatever you can to serve your people. It’s not necessary to make them breakfast or take them to lunch, but just do what you are comfortable doing. Let them know how much their efforts are appreciated. It should go without saying, but I will say it anyway, don’t do it if it does not come from the heart. It is not a manipulative expression, but one that comes from really caring for those who do the day-to-day heavy lifting for your organization. It is amazing how little expressions of appreciation go a long way.

What are some of things you do as a leader to express your appreciation to those you lead?