Three Invaluable Lessons From the Best Leaders I Know

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"Hey, good morning."

"Thanks for the coffee. How's the family?"

"What's up man? Good to see you."

If you followed me around in the morning when I was a store manager, this is what you'd hear. I greeted everyone as I walked around the shopping center. Everyone at Panera knew me because I was there all the time.

I knew the mall management team, and I'd stop and talk to them about business every month or so.

Small interactions daily add up. Pretty soon, your name will come up in conversation when someone is looking for a new job or needs a project partner.

I didn't do this innately; I had to learn it. This is one of the many invaluable lessons I've learned from outstanding leaders.

Here are the top three.

Say goodbye to people in person when you leave for the day.

As you head out for the day, say goodbye to everyone in person and tell them thank you. After that, I'd ask, "When do you work next?" After they gave me an answer, I'd say, "Awesome! I'll see you then!"

Saying goodbye and thank you in person is underrated. If you're the store manager, your team only gets a little of your time. You're busy with a million tasks; then you're usually grabbing your stuff and trying to race to the time clock so you don't get over time.

Slow down on your way out for two minutes and say goodbye and thank you.

This small interaction opens to door to genuine relationship building and trust.

Be constantly learning and evolving.

The leaders I respected the most were constantly evolving. When they learned a new way, they tried it. They gave themselves enough space to learn and grow. They let go of outdated expectations and moved forward.

We did not allow the staff to keep their cell phones on them on the floor. However, this rule changed over time.

Many parents, worried about their kid's safety, preferred that their kids keep their phones on them in case of an emergency. As long as the employees could keep their phones out of sight and did not use them, I was okay with adjustment - as were my bosses.

However, if I caught them more than once scrolling or texting, their phone went into the office until they were off.

Every connection matters.

How often do you interact with the stores near you? How many times a week do you see your mall managers?

There's no correct answer, but more often is better.

When one of my former bosses was a store manager, she would park at the opposite end of the mall. When she walked in, she'd say hello to everyone in all the stores she walked by; when she left for the day, she'd ask everyone how their day was.

She had a global view of the shopping center's business simply by changing where she parked and interacting with everyone she walked past. Everyone knew her. Be visible. This is a great way to recruit too. When people know who you are, they're more likely to want to come over and work with you.

You never know who you'll meet.

If you work in a shopping center, keep your head up as you walk around. See what's going on. Watch people. Greet them.

Shoppers always stopped me for directions because I was available and looked like I had a clue.

Subtle shifts can be a massive asset to your leadership tool kit.

Say goodbye to people in person when you leave for the day, evolve constantly, and connect with everyone around you. These small actions will build over time and could lead to your next great hire or your next killer job.

You never know who you'll meet. Put your phone in your pocket and have a look around. It's going to be a good day.

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Hey, I’m Kit. I spent 20 years leading retail teams and I now write about Leadership, Retail, Web3, and Entrepreneurship.