Be Where Your Feet Are | Chapter 5 | Be the Purple Water Buffalo

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

The eyes of a purple water buffalo seem to stare deep into the soul. Purple is the color of royalty. Work unreasonably hard, be intellectually curious, and be an extraordinary teammate. Be the purple water buffalo.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Teamwork can occur beyond the office, no matter how young or old you are.

If there is a Piece of Paper on the Ground, Bend Over and Pick It Up

The purple water buffalo attitude can also be summarized in this expression: If there is a piece of paper on the ground, bend over and pick it up. We have to solve problems when we see them. Don't wait. If something goes south, fix it. We are not perfect, but we can learn, get better, and address the complaints to improve the next experience. Just address the issues as they come up. Do it yourself give it to a manager or send a note, but do not step over that paper on the ground.

Getting Through a Hurricane Together

Value the "we" over the "me".

From a Potential Death Sentence to a Dream

A perfect example of the water buffalo mentality can be seen in the millions of healthcare workers who stepped up during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. They didn't know how things would turn out, they didn't know if they were going to get the virus or pass it on to their families - in fact, many didn't have the protective equipment to prevent this and expected that they would - and yet they stood together to care for some of the sickest people they had ever encountered. At a time when the easiest thing to do would be to retreat and run away, at a time when their colleagues were dying too, they came to the rescue together. When New York expressed a serious need for more health professionals, an amazing twenty thousand volunteers - yes, volunteers - from other states around the country immediately raised their hands and came to help, expecting nothing in return. There were so many other water buffalo during that outbreak - the volunteers who delivered groceries to people who were homebound and those who got together and helped celebrate one woman's one-hundredth birthday by standing on her lawn, six feet apart, with balloons and signs, serenading her. The other water buffalo were the millions of UPS, FedEx, U.S. Postal Service, and Amazon employees who took a risk so that the rest of us could follow the mandate to stay at home yet still receive all the important items - like food and medicine - and not-so-important items - like puzzles and crafts projects - that we ordered online. I remember hearing one UPS worker on the news saying that he felt "privileged that we're still able to work and do our job."

Your Turn to Put This into Practice

A Different Kind of Four-Square Game

• First, make a list of ten people in your life from work, community, school, and friendships with whom you spend the most time.
• Then put each person in one of the four boxes below.
• Finally, circle the names of the people in the water buffalo box and spend more time with them.