Last weekend, I visited my daughter at Penn State for Family Weekend. It was a wonderful few days meeting her friends, seeing her dorm, and exploring the campus.
Two Leadership Lessons Learned from Penn State
Two experiences stood out to me — each offering a valuable lesson for business owners and nonprofit leaders about how we treat staff and clients.
1. The Bar That Didn’t Play the Penn State Game
After a long day on campus, Zoe and I stopped at a bar next to our hotel to watch the Penn State football game. To our surprise, none of the TVs were showing it, even though we were in the heart of Penn State!
The waitress explained that the game was on a channel the bar didn’t subscribe to. The owner had decided not to pay for that sports package.
Zoe and I stayed anyway, but over the next two hours, we watched a steady stream of fans come and go, all disappointed that they couldn’t watch their team.
For the price of a small monthly subscription, the bar lost thousands of dollars in sales that night.
Sometimes, small investments end up costing much more in lost goodwill and missed opportunities. We see that at Capital Campaign Pro all the time when organizations opt not to do a feasibility study or planning properly for their campaign.
2. The Restaurant That Didn’t Provide Breaks for Staff
My daughter’s roommate started a new job at a local pancake house. Her first shift was Saturday of Family Weekend (one of the busiest days of the year). She worked from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., without a single break or bite to eat.
She hadn’t eaten before her shift, assuming she’d get a meal break. Not only did she not get one, but at the end of her shift, she wasn’t even offered a discounted meal. Exhausted and hungry, she quit that afternoon and never returned.
A five-minute break and a $2 plate of scrambled eggs could have kept that employee motivated and loyal.
A little care and empathy go a long way in retaining great people. Neglecting your team, even unintentionally, can be far more expensive than small gestures of kindness.
Are You Making Foolish Decisions as a Leader?
Both stories reveal how easy it is for leaders to make short-sighted decisions that cost more in the long run in lost sales, turnover, and morale.
So ask yourself and your colleagues:
- What’s your “missed subscription” moment?
- Where might your policies unintentionally drive away great people or loyal staff or customers?
In leadership, the smallest decisions often have the biggest ripple effects.
great stories — so very true; being “penny-wise and pound foolish” has far-reaching consequences is all aspects of life and work
Great examples of leadership decision-making gone wrong. Most of all, I love your two introspective questions for us!
Fascinating stories with real examples. Thank you, Amy, for sharing this.