“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

I’ve been out visiting plants this week. We’ve been discussing our financial performance this year and what needs to happen next year. I’ll share more about this in the weeks to come. But, the quote above reminded me of an important theme: leadership.

One of my goals at PalletOne is that all of our people are capable and are willing to lead when the situation arises. In that spirit, I believe “PalletOne leaders happen to the world.”

What I mean by that is our folks always have a choice. Our choice is to face our day with a mindset that says that through our actions and commitments we can have a positive impact.

Positive impacts can come in small steps or large leaps. They usually take initiative and intention. They often require courage in the face of the unknown. Communication and encouragement are the lubricants to leadership. A bit of humility and a willingness to learn makes us more effective as we endeavor to lead.

But you lead when folks notice you showing up, working hard, caring for our assets, impressing your customer, being a good teammate, offering instruction, providing a plan.

All those things matter. It will take all of us “happening to the world” to achieve our results.