Servant Leadership
Young people are a big part of Brownfield’s. We want them to know that they are valued, that hard work matters, that work should be fun, and that all of life is a classroom where we keep learning.
Each season, we have a few “junior team members” who get special projects and an introduction to working. These junior teammates earn awesome products while developing a love for work and responsibility.
Austin is one of those teammates. He has brought some great photography and drone skills to the table this season. He photographed many items for the website and even created cool videos. Austin also had the opportunity to meet Mayor Hall and tell him about some of his marketing endeavors.
A sidenote on that story…
Austin was so excited to have met the Mayor. When we got back to the store after our visit to Town Hall, he told everyone that he got to shake the Mayor’s hand. A couple minutes later, I walked over to his workstation and found him sitting there with his phone and a giant grin on his face. He proudly said, “I am making the picture with the Mayor my background image.” It was adorable. But it also made me realize how necessary it is for positions of leadership and influence to be honored and respected.
This whole moment was a beautiful reminder of the importance of stopping what we are doing, taking a few moments, and making someone feel like they are the center of the story. We interrupted Mayor Hall at his office after what had already been an hours-long meeting. He could have smiled politely and gotten back to work, but instead he chose to stand up, engage, and truly honor a young visitor. That is the kind of servant leadership that changes communities. After Austin wrapped up that day, he joyfully proclaimed, “This was one of my favorite days.”
Mayor Hall reminded all of us at Brownfield’s that we can make every guest feel the way he made Austin feel…if we simply put people first. Thank you, Mayor Hall, for loving the little ones in our town.
