Ridiculously in Charge of Your Response

Team,

Today's blog post is written by Jessica Weiss. Jessica recently shared it with me, and it has two cool things in it --- being in control and dump trucks. Enjoy and continue to lead the Interstates Way!

Good Morning,

I had an experience that doesn’t directly link to leadership, but more an attitude regarding leadership and I think it is a valuable thing to apply to EIL. This morning on my way to work, it was pretty typical. I followed a vehicle that was from out of state and I think she was lost. I followed as I usually did - roughly 3-4 car lengths behind on cruise control. She started tapping her breaks and acting weird so I figured she was really lost and I got concerned and willing to help if needed. As she started to pull over, I didn’t have anyone directly behind me so I slowed down just in case and I looked over at her with an obvious expression of “are you ok?”. She flashed a very obscene gesture and I had no idea why because I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. So I decided it was probably not the best thing to stop as she was having a bad morning. I waved, and I continued on my way to work, all the while wondering why she was being so rude and feeling sympathetic to her hostility. I posted my story on Facebook to voice my confusion, and I friend from home instantly sent me an article and said “good for you for being the bigger person and carrying on with your day”. I have attached the article she shared, but the most important part of the article for me is…

“The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client. And the best parents know that they have to be ready to greet their children with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their lives.”

http://bewareofgarbagetrucks.com/wordpress/the-law-of-the-garbage-truck/

I think this story is important because we all run into confrontational clients, co-workers, drivers, and even family, but the way you process it can affect everything in your life and if you don’t take it personally and you learn from it, you can be more successful. This may not be relevant for the blog, but it was something I felt needed to be shared! Thanks for reading.  -  Jessica

Thanks,
Scott Peterson

P.S. - Don’t take the dump. (I could not resist that pun.)