Newspapers, broken arms, and leadership

Where did your leadership lessons begin? Mine started with a broken arm!

Culture Shock

Ninth-grade was a difficult year for me. My family and I had recently moved from the green hills of Tennessee (where I had lived for seven years) to the green flatlands of the Mississippi Delta. In Tennessee, I spent many a night playing outside until late into the evening; in Mississippi, that was not a thing. As the sun went down, the mosquitos began draining the blood of every living thing around! My school in Tennessee was colorful, clean, and up-to-date. My school in Mississippi? Well, not so much …. Remember that kind of antiseptic green institutional buildings used to have? Imagine that color with a layer of dirt on it, and you’ll get the picture. Oh, and there was no air conditioning! Ninth-grade was also the year the local preacher's kid  (IYKYK) decided I was bullying material. Great times were had by all, to be sure.

Newspapers at 10 mph

That year is when I joined the workforce. I became a proud deliverer of the Bolivar Commercial! The papers were dropped off daily at the community center of the local college. I then sat in there and diligently rolled those suckers, stuffed them in a yellow, canvas bag, hopped on my bike, and headed out to deliver about 100 papers to my customers awaiting their comic strips, coupons (on Wednesdays!), and local news. My route went through offices, neighborhoods, and along a six-lane highway through the middle of town, all on my faithful bicycle. On the good days, Mom took me in the car. However, that was not always a given, EVEN DURING my broken arm period. Yeah, try riding a bicycle down a six-lane highway while balancing a heavy, newspaper-filled bag, and using only one arm for steering, throwing, and so on! Nonetheless, I have to admit that I learned some very valuable lessons from that newspaper route, and I have carried those lessons into my leadership to this day.     

Lessons Learned

     First, I learned PERSEVERANCE. The job had to be done  regardless of the weather, the condition of my bike, the time of day the newspapers were delivered to me, or the condition of my body. The papers had to go out and it was up to me to figure it out and to make it happen. I’ve carried that lesson through being fired, low manning, sickness, deployments, moves and more! Bottom line, the work has to continue, and people around me know that I will generally finish the job.

      Second, I learned the value of NETWORKING. I rolled the newspapers in Delta State’s community center and became a familiar sight to the denizens of Delta State University. Then, I delivered those papers throughout the university offices and to university employees scattered throughout the nearby neighborhoods. I became familiar to professors, the Registrar’s Office, the Finance Office, the President, and many others throughout campus. Imagine how useful those contacts where when I elected to attend Delta State University. I knew people everywhere, which, while it meant I was perhaps held more accountable than others, also meant that I knew who to approach with an issue I couldn’t solve. I continue to practice networking to this day, having recognized that I am much happier when I'm collaborating.

     I have since discovered that perseverance and networking go hand-in-hand. Understanding the skills and talents of those with whom I interact regularly allows me either to find or to provide solutions, sometimes in unique ways. Following through does not have to mean that I complete the job/task/etc. alone.  It often means that I know the resources (which includes people) for bringing that job/task/etc. to full completion!

Reflect

> What was your first real job?

> What leadership lessons have you brought forward into your current career?

> What does “perseverance” look like to you?

> How has networking helped you?