Always Eat Last

I was walking down the hallway to my office when a fourth grader decided to walk with me.  He noticed that I had a white Styrofoam container with me and some napkins.

"Are you just now eating lunch?" he asked.

I replied, "This is when I always eat lunch."

"It's like 1:30." he said with confusion.  He added, "Isn't it cold?"

"Sometimes it is."

He pressed on with, "What if there's no food left?"

"Then I don't get to eat."

He said with a look of disappointment, "Well that's stupid.  Have a good day Mr. Cass."

What my friend doesn't realize is that I always eat last.  It doesn't matter if it is lunch, a celebration or professional development meal I always go last.  I was once thrown a farewell celebration when I was moving on to a new district and they had to push me into the line.  I do this at home too.  To me, this small act of courtesy is important though it might puzzle others.  

I've done all the leadership courses and read a few books, but some of our best leadership examples just come from having a unique set of manners.  Letting everyone eat before me is a way of putting my people before me.   It is symbolic of their needs being at a higher priority than mine.  Sure I've eaten a lot of cold lunches over the years and sometimes had to take a trip down the street to a drive thru, but I take comfort in knowing that everyone else had been fed.  

As I look back, this comes from my mother.  She had to scrape to make sure we had enough so she would take what was left after we had all eaten.  For me, this is what the head of the household does and it has crossed over into my professional life.  I often hope my children take notice and that value can be transmitted and passed on.  I place a high value on servant leadership and I may not be able to teach my son how to rebuild a carburetor, but he can learn how to serve others.

What are some ways you serve others through small acts?  No act of kindness is small, but we all have our little things that others may not understand.  They make you unique and will help define your leadership style.  If you can't think of anything, always eat last.