I have often thought that the way a person does a small thing reveals who they are. Even small things, small acts of kindness, can make a big statement. This is a story about a small act of kindness by Marilyn Mosley Gordanier, a global environmental pioneer and visionary in virtual education.
In 2006 Marilyn was invited to be the keynote speaker at the World Championship in Cooperation in Stockholm. The WCIC was for children to express their wishes to the politicians to protect the planet. The children asked for the protection of water. I had the honor of being invited to accompany Marilyn as a consultant to the Global 500 Forum, affiliated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The WCIC Stockholm event, also affiliated with UNEP, was incredibly organized, involving the entire city. A fabulous woman named Kaysa had enlisted the cooperation of the city and many volunteers to host and move visitors from around the globe from place to place and from ceremony to ceremony. Streets were closed for the children to hold their parade and stands were erected in front of the Parliament buildings for the Water Ceremony, in which the children from various countries brought some water from their home to add to a specially made vessel–a bowl carved from ice.
It was three flights, over 30 hours, and no sleep between LAX and touch down in Stockholm.
As we deboarded the plane, a young woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair in a summer dress and low-heeled sandals greeted us at the exit, and took our bags to the car, saying she would be our driver and guide for the next 3 days.
Charlotte was strong of spirit and game for adventure, but she confessed to us that she was uneasy driving. (I supposed the public transportation in Stockholm is exemplary–unlike California, where we have little choice but to drive everywhere!) So Marilyn immediately offered to sit up front to keep her company.
As she promised, for the next three days, Charlotte took care of us, escorting us to the next celebration or entertainment, making sure we didn’t get lost in between. As a well-dressed, feminine political science graduate student, Charlotte was as informed about the city, nation and government as she was about lip-gloss!
The day after we got back to California, an email from Charlotte said:
“Dear Marilyn, I need to tell you again that I’ve never met people like you and Renita before…. One thing that made a big impression on me was on the day of your arrival when I was assigned to drive you to your hotel and you sat in the front seat with me to be supportive because I didn’t like driving. That was such a sweet gesture and nobody has ever done something like that for me before. I believe that you see people and that is a very good quality that not many people possess.”
(Charlotte also recommended a shade of lip gloss.)
I have thought about this moment of leadership… and how it touched someone so much that she felt compelled to write about it. And now, nearly 3 years later, even I can remember the impact of that gesture.
What I have found is that the leadership gesture, such as sincere consideration for others, has creative impact. Making a difference starts with the people right next to you. And leadership is often cumulative… seen in the accumulation of small acts.
The Wellman Method supports leadership development
