You care, don’t you?

You care, don’t you?

No really, do you care about those around you? Whoa deep question I know. Take the next 30 seconds to think about that question before you proceed…


Ok, so you do care. Good. Not sure I completely expected you to close up this message and go about your day; however I do hope you thought to consider this question… How would people around you know that you care about them? Let that set in…


I assume that you love and cherish your family unconditionally (although I believe the same principles apply with loved ones), so for the moment let’s remove them from the equation. Think about everyone else. Think about every single person you encounter throughout your day. From your barista to your co-workers, the server at lunch to your customer. How do those people know that you care about them? How do you share with them the AWESOMENESS that they are? What ways do you explain the actions, perhaps the behaviors they exhibit that demonstrate such leadership? Or do you?

Caring is tough to quantify, not sure there is metric that measures how much one cares for someone/something else. Half the time I’m not sure people know what it means. My biggest fear is leaders don’t know how to identify, teach, or coach “how to”, “why to”, or “if to” care. Early in my career I believed that you were either born with it or you weren’t, that caring was an inherent thing you just had. Nope. Sorry, all learned.

So how does one begin or further this journey of caring? If it is indeed that simple, how can just anyone begin to care at a level that makes all the difference? You have to communicate it. It’s the actions of caring that make it work. Just saying you care isn’t enough. I am reminded of a quote my former boss had up in his office. “Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was posted at his desk facing anyone who was going to have a discussion with him. Bold but true, fierce yet accurate. A great reminder of the simplicity of caring.

Perhaps the question I should have asked at the beginning should have been, “What actions do you do, that show the people around you that you care for them?” Think about the million different ways you can show the people you work with, live with, or chat with, how much you care. Think about the bus driver, the mailman, or your boss. What ways do you communicate your care for them? Maybe it’s a simple note, a text, or a call. Perhaps you surprise your TEAM with lunch, give a free cup of coffee to the next customer, or hold the door open for someone. Small meaningful gestures that demonstrate how much people mean to you. I am fascinated by the role Social Media has played in helping to further advance the way people can share their care for one another. Video, audio, or otherwise, people are finding different ways to connect with other people via Facebook™ or YouTube™ following them with Twitter ™or using “check-ins” on GoWalla™. In turn, this has allowed businesses and brands to become better at showing how they care, further deepening their relationships with consumers. Ultimately those who do this well are separating themselves and building loyalty. The whiz-bang is great but it has to be built on a platform of caring.

Trust me, your ability to care will win out. There are enough distractions out there, noise about fastest this or best price of that, end of the day what is left? What is the essence of any product, brand, or company? I argue it is the ability of these products, brands, or companies to care. As a wise woman once taught me, “It’s simple, but it’s hard, but it’s simple.” (Thank you again Sue!) The cool thing is if you care, you are already armed with a secret weapon. Care is the closest thing to a silver bullet, a-one-stop-fix-everything-right-at-this-moment piece of brilliance!

I challenge you all to think about who, what, when, why, where, and how you go about sharing your care for others. Needless to say I am intrigued by this and would love to learn more from each of you. I would be honored if you shared your “Who you are” and “How you care” (not only with those close to you) stories with me. Think about the day you can make, the impact that you can have, and impression you can leave.