Lead Like the Janitor

As Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up, I continue to be amazed by our Latino/x community. We've heard about many Latino/x leaders who have achieved "firsts," realized unprecedented successes and inspired others.

They've shown us 'sí, se puede!'

On this final day of our month-long celebration, let's also recognize and celebrate our unsung Latino/x colleagues; those who often go unnoticed or, even, ignored.

Let's talk about the janitors and what we can learn from them about leadership.

My research is first-hand and specific to one janitor - my dad, Hilario De La Pe?a, Sr.

Dad was both a civil service government employee and a janitor, assuming both roles for decades. Throughout his life, he demonstrated leadership in so many ways, although, admittedly, I rarely recognized these unique and valuable skills while growing up. Now though, as a leadership coach who works with clients to achieve their maximum potential, I can clearly see how dad modeled leadership. And I use some of his stories and examples when partnering with leaders. Read on to learn a few of the ways you can Lead Like the Janitor.

• Invest in Relationship Building - Take the time to get to know others, find connection points and develop mutual trust. Actively support their development and include them in your own efforts and goals. Help each other grow. The best example my dad showed here was his relationship with my mom. They met in 8th grade, were married for 66 years, raised five children and lived a life of shared values and goals. While they experienced their fair share of ups and downs, they leaned on each other and kept thriving through it all. Dad's relationship building strength was also recognized during his funeral when three separate families told us that dad was their dad's best friend. These were life-long friendships that evolved over time as the friends evolved. There were shared experiences, joy, and, as with my mom, trust that the other party truly cared about the other. Leaders care about the people they lead.
• Commit to Vision and Purpose - Dad (and mom) always talked about wanting their children to have a "better life" then they had. For them, that meant not having to work so hard in physically draining jobs, living in nicer neighborhoods, and not having to count every penny of our paychecks. That was their vision. I think they also felt, to some degree anyway, that it was their purpose too. They shared this vision with my siblings and myself and inspired us to consider what a "better life" might look like for us. We had a shared vision. Sure, it was challenging sometimes, but it was mostly motivating and led us each to work hard and do all we could to make our parents proud and to achieve that vision they had set forth for our family. Our parents defined what steps were needed to achieve the vision. The most important one they committed to was our education. While neither of my parents finished high school, they saw college education as a solid path to a better life. They enrolled us in Catholic schools because they felt we'd get a better education that would also reinforce our faith. That education came at a financial price and, I dare say, a burden. In fact, Dad started working as a janitor when my oldest sister was going to start high school. He was intent that mom not work outside of the house and, with tuition prices increasing, he said he'd get a second job. That second job was janitorial work, which he held for over 20 years. And, today, I can confidently say that my siblings and I are all leading "a better life" because of dad's and mom's efforts. Leaders communicate a compelling vision, define a road map to achieving the vision and inspire others to join them in the journey.
• Demonstrate Resilience - There are a lot of ways dad demonstrated resilience. I recall dad putting in a bid for a big janitorial job, one that would've let him quit his civil service job. He was excited about the opportunity to hire others, to earn more pay and to have just one job. But, he didn't get the contract. While I know he was disappointed and, likely, a bit embarrassed, he kept the vision front of mind for himself and for us. Years later, when dad was diagnosed with cancer the first time, he faced it with strength, optimism and and composure. With my mom by his side, he went to chemotherapy sessions, kept his spirits high and felt the love and support of all those relationships he'd built over the years. Leaders maintain a positive mindset and can see the opportunity even in the middle of difficulty.

I could go on and on about the leadership lessons I learned from my dad, the janitor. My hope is that this article helps each of us remember that leaders aren't just in the corner offices, sometimes, the person cleaning that corner office is the best example of leadership.

And, my final hope is that, somehow, dad is reading this from heaven and smiling knowing that his vision has been achieved and his life served great purpose and value, now spanning generations.