Work For Value

Hey team. So here we are, Monday Workshop. I guess it’s Monday Message.

So we’re here to talk a little bit about humility. And the reason I want to talk about humility is because it’s something I read. There’s an English novelist, her name is Emily Bronte, I think. I probably butchered that; I apologize. She said that she would rather work in silence and obscurity and have basically the results of what she did benefit the community, benefit people. Not everybody’s like that. The reason I say humility is our topic today is because part of our humble statement, for our core values, is to hold the ladder and the light for someone else, to celebrate somebody else winning.

All too often in our society and in life over time, we all want to get noticed.

Everybody here at Northwest Enforcement wants to be or feel important. Everybody wants to be recognized for their contribution, and those are all important things. But when arrogance sets in, when you start wanting it so badly that it becomes the thing. Then you can’t celebrate somebody else winning because you get jealous. You get upset about it, and that stifles the growth and the potential of the team. I agree with Emily. As leaders working in obscurity, so often what we do as leaders is for the team, not for us.

We are constantly working very diligently to accomplish a goal that we see needs to be done. If it gets recognized, it gets recognized, but that’s not why we’re doing it.

I really see that as an important function. It’s one of the reasons it’s one of our core values, is why humility is so important. We’re not too proud to pick up trash, and we can celebrate others’ wins. We, as leaders, and most of your leaders here, I believe, feel this way. They get excited when somebody else does something for the team, does something for the community, not because they’re looking to get noticed, “Hey, me, look at me, look at me,” but they’re literally doing it because they care. When we see that care, it bonds us together in a way that nothing else can. I’m really excited and thankful for those kinds of things.

So on this Monday, I just want to urge you to not say, “Look at me, look at me,” but do something for another team member, do something for somebody in your neighborhood, do something for somebody in your family. You know, the true power of giving and caring is when you do something for somebody that cannot repay you for that thing, when they can’t do anything for you, but you do something great for them.

I think we’ve all felt and understand the importance of this, but in this busy life, sometimes we forget. We need to remember to work for value.

Sometimes we can get our heads down so much, focused on the busyness or the issues that are going on around us, in such a way that we forget how important it is to look up and notice the hurting, the loss, the need, and do what we can to impact that one little thing, whatever that is. Sometimes it’s a hug, sometimes it’s a smile, sometimes it’s a tent or a pair of socks to somebody that needs socks, repair shoes to somebody that needs shoes. Maybe it’s a breakfast burrito. Some of you are saying, “Chad, you’re probably getting hungry, aren’t you?”

All right, on this Monday, guys, I just want to say thank you and God bless you, and remember, do things in obscurity. Who cares if you get noticed? Who cares? Ultimately, you did something great for somebody else. Care deeply and watch that come back to you, because I believe that you’re the people that do those kinds of things. They get the reward in the doing, and then I think there’s still a measure handed back to them in greatness down the road. All right, God bless you guys and be valuable because nothing less will do.