Not long ago, I found myself in a long line at the post office. It was one of those days where everything felt like it was moving just a bit too slowly. My parking meter was about to run out, and I was returning an item with a QR code that I assumed, based on past experiences, wouldn’t need to be fully taped up.
While I was in line, frustrated that it was taking so long, I noticed that the two tellers were being extremely patient with the people they were serving. People who were asking a lot of questions and clearly needed extra help.
When I finally got to the front, the postal worker scanned my code and calmly said, “You need to tape this closed.” I asked if I could use her tape. She told me no, that I would have to buy my own. And that’s when I lost my cool. Not dramatically, but enough. I was rude. Frustrated. Short. I pushed back about having to buy a whole roll of tape for the two inches I needed.
She stayed professional, but I could feel the tension rise.
What happened next stuck with me. A woman who had been ahead of me in line returned to ask a quick question. The teller next to mine, witness to my interaction, snapped at her to get back in line.
The warmth in the room was gone.
And I realized: that was me.
I had shifted the mood. With one small, snippy interaction, I had unintentionally made things harder for everyone around me.
As a coach, I often talk about the ripple effect of our energy, our leadership. How our tone, our presence, even our micro-reactions, set the stage for others. That day, I wasn’t leading from my best. I was stressed, rushed, and tired. But none of that gave me license to treat someone poorly.
The woman behind the counter was doing her job. She didn’t make the rules. And she certainly didn’t deserve my irritation.
This was a good reminder to watch the energy I bring and to be responsible for my impact. Even when it’s just a quick errand on an ordinary day. Especially then.
I went back to the post office to apologize a few days later. The teller smiled and thanked me.
It’s often the smallest moments that reveal our leadership.
I didn’t show up as the leader I want to be that day at the post office, but I’ll try again tomorrow. Next time, I’ll take a breath, pause, and ask myself, “How do I want to show up right now?”