You know when you enter a coffeeshop early in the morning and you can float restfully through the ordering, waiting and obtaining lines pretty mindlessly? One morning I arrived to my neighbourhood spot, laptop in hand and ready to find a quiet table and a coffee to kickstart my ambition, when I discovered a smattering of people all higgledy-piggledy in various places all along the front of the counter. I was confused and admittedly slightly irritated by this breech to the societal normative manner in which coffeeshops typically process people through, but then I figured we were all merely trying to wake up. We weren’t marching off to war, that’s for sure. I asked the person who appeared to be sort of in front of me if she was waiting to order and then simply slid in beside her.
But the next fellow to enter wasn’t as adaptable and he stopped in his tracks, booming out the words ‘Let’s tighten up this line!’ while clapping his hands to each word all the while. I was immediately embarrassed to be part of the throng that had the routine so screwed up, but even more embarrassed for him coming in and barking at people like a coach. Maybe he was a coach and couldn’t help but feel compelled to solve this misguided play. At any rate, we all fell into a tighter line – each and every one of us. Even the staff seemed to jump to attention.
Is this a type of leadership style? My first instinct, as well, was to resolve the mayhem, but then I evaluated the fleeting situation that involved people I would never see again. I didn’t need to establish a system here, I just needed a coffee.
When I was immersed in my career and keeping several different balls in the air, I was always frank about my expectations of how things should proceed from a communications standpoint. Being the only communications staff in a large organization meant that people looked to me to lead those strategies. I called it leadership then, but it’s funny that they placed an office nameplate on my door that said Bossy.
I guess one person’s interpretation of leadership is another person’s bossy! And that perspective can change, depending on which side of the equation you’re standing on. All I know is that phrase became an instant addition to the family quotation roster. Anytime we are becoming frustrated in grocery stores or in traffic or even in the chaos of our own home, we will clap our hands and declare ‘Let’s tighten up this line!’ and everyone laughs. It’s a gem!