I was on a morning walk last week when I saw something that made me stop.
Nothing dramatic.
Just a moment done well.
Leaders often get a bad rap at the moment. And in many ways, it’s understandable.
There’s pressure everywhere.
Time. P&L. People. Expectations that don’t seem to slow down.
It’s easy for leadership to become rushed.
Focused on output.
Moving from one thing to the next.
But this was different.
There’s a local painting business in Richmond I see often. Strong branding, so you always know when they’re working on a house nearby. I’ve watched them transform homes over time.
This day, it wasn’t the work that stood out. It was a conversation.
The owner and his apprentice had stepped back from the job. They were standing across the street, looking at the front of the house they’d just painted.
The owner was him through what he was seeing. What looked good. What needed attention. Why it mattered.
He pointed things out clearly. Explained the standard. Gave context. The apprentice was engaged. You could see he was taking it in, not just being told what to fix, but understanding what “good” actually looked like.
That’s leadership.
Taking the time to step back and show someone how to think about the work, not just how to do it.
Because that conversation doesn’t just improve that job.
It shapes the next one.
And the one after that.
It lifts the standard without needing to repeat yourself every time.
It builds capability.
And it shows someone what you expect, in a way they can actually apply.
We talk a lot about developing future leaders.
This is what it looks like in real life.
I see a lot of leaders skip this part.
They’re busy.
They’re moving.
They assume people will figure it out.
But without that level of clarity, people default to doing what’s quickest, not what’s best. And over time, standards drift.
What I saw that morning was simple, but it stuck with me. He wasn’t just getting a job done. He was shaping how someone else approaches their work.
That’s the part of leadership that compounds.
If you get a moment, take a step back and think about how you’re showing up for the people around you.
If you celebrate Easter, enjoy the break. It’s certainly come at a good time for me!