Turn Your Desk Around: A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman

Turn Your Desk Around

When I was preparing to leave my job managing over 80 people, an employee stopped by my office to say goodbye.

A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman

© 2013 Clear Picture Leadership® All rights reserved.


He said, “Jon when you became the boss, I was impressed with something you did.”




Who doesn’t love a compliment? So I gladly prepared to welcome his thoughts.




Maybe he’s going to talk about how we accomplished record-breaking goals.




Maybe he’s going to comment on one of the many initiatives we started.




Maybe he’s going to talk about the first-of-its-kind national conference we put on.




He did not mention any of these things.




Instead, he said, “When you came onboard and reorganized your office, the first thing you did was turn your desk around so that your back would not face the door.”




What???!!! I thought to myself, “Out of all the things we accomplished, he’s talking about the arrangement of furniture?




Is he kidding? Maybe he would be equally impressed with the color of my office chairs.




And – hey – I’m not even going to mention the quality of my stapler. Once he realized that, he would be floored!”




After I stopped being silly, I became surprised that he remembered something so small that occurred three years ago.




He then explained how that one small act showed him that I cared about people. To him (and I’m sure to other employees as well) this represented respect.




It ensured that employees would see my face – as opposed to my back – whenever they dropped by my office or were merely walking by it.




While turning my desk around did not mean a lot to me, that one small act meant everything to him.




This experience taught me a powerful leadership principle. One of the first things leaders should do is show their team members that they care about them.




I’m not talking about feigning concern. I’m talking about a true, genuine regard for humanity and an ardent respect for your team.




Every act, no matter how small, can go a long way in accomplishing this.




(CEOs and other executives, here is a tip: Avoid promoting someone into a leadership role solely because they are good at their job.




In addition to competence, look for those who have displayed leadership qualities, including a genuine concern for their colleagues).




Yes, you too may need to “turn your desk around.”




To you, this may mean smiling to your employees more often. Maybe it means asking them how they are doing and listening to their responses.




Maybe “turning your desk around” means stopping by their office or cubicle just to say hello.




Maybe it means placing a thank you note on their desk for a job well done.




Maybe it means volunteering to make restaurant reservations for their upcoming birthday lunch with a friend.




If you want your team to accomplish great things, you must first show them that you truly care.




Why is it so important for leaders to show their team members that they respect and care about them? Please share your thoughts on this by adding a comment below.



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Turn Your Desk AroundA short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman


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Jonathan Michael Bowman is an attorney and keynote leadership speaker. As President & CEO of Clear Picture Leadership®, he educates and inspires leaders to achieve a bold vision despite the obstacles. He is also a fine art photographer and uses his images during his presentations as a graphic metaphor to illustrate key points. Reach out and contact Jonathan today.

Website: www.ClearPictureLeadership.comEmail: [email protected]

Phone: 614.657.4295

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Turn Your Desk Around: A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman

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Transcript of Turn Your Desk Around: A short leadership story by Jonathan Michael Bowman