It is still winter here in Wisconsin and will be for another four to five months. But even in the snow and cold there are important lessons to learn. Everyone morning I drop my boys off at the before school program in Mosinee on my way to work. It is located within the elementary school, which is super convenient. As we walked up to the building this morning, I told the boys to be careful because it looked icy. When we got closer it was definitely icy. Right outside of the door was a large patch that had not been salted.

When we got into the building, to the right of the door there was a coffee can in a bucket of salt. I grabbed the coffee can, filled it with the salt, and told the boys to hold the door for me. I proceeded to go back outside to salt that area. When I got back inside, my oldest asked why I did that because it was the school’s job to. I explained to him, that when you see a problem that you can fix, you fix it. It may have taken an extra minute out of my day, but it most likely saved someone from falling.

I think as leaders and society in general is caught up in a very fast paced world, that we sometimes forget that an extra minute to fix a problem can go along way. I also feel that we are really good at thinking someone else will take care of it, so we do not have to. Every amazing leader I have met, has done quite the opposite-and I pride myself on that as well. When the contracted snow removal company is late, I grab a shovel and clear the walk. When I am down with the inventory specialist and she has boxes of supplies mail that need to get to the front office for pick up, I take them there. When mail comes and others are busy, I deliver it where it needs to go. It is not below me as the CEO to help where help is needed. That is what makes a successful team, a successful business, and a successful culture.

It has been very important for me to have worked my way from a registered nurse to a CEO. I used to be the boots on the ground, and that gives me a better understanding of the current boots on the ground’s day to day. I had some really great leaders through my years who were more than willing to role up their sleeves and help. I also had some really terrible ones as well who would not. I remember how I felt interacting with and knowing I was not going to get support from those terrible ones. And frankly I do not want anyone in my organization to feel that way.

I have carefully crafted my leadership team to be the team that roles up their sleeves. My reproductive health service line manager is more than willing to and actively answers phones, schedules appointments, bags condoms, and will sit at the front desk to help check people in. My WIC service line manager is the same. She works as a registered dietitian within the clinic at least weekly. If someone is out sick, she does it more frequently. My COO has pulled and sent orders, helped with IT fiascos, and moved furniture more times than I can count. Because at the end of the day they want the client to be served. It is not about egos within these walls, it is about how do we offer the best care possible and get people what they want and need.