This quote is most often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, but no one is quite sure where it originated. Despite that, it is as true today as it was the first time I heard it more than twenty-five years ago. I remember sharing that quote with one of my former bosses, who was known as ‘The General’, when I was a young human resources manager for Harley-Davidson. I was reminded of it recently when talking to a fellow H-D retiree and she told me a story of how The General stopped by her office one day shortly after a very tough meeting and asked the simple question, ‘Are you okay?’. She shared with me how surprised she was and how much it meant to her that the The General had made it a point to stop by her office and check on her. The General was known as a very smart, tough-minded, and no-nonsense leader but not very caring or people oriented. He would often say things like ‘their reward is they get to come back to work the next day’ when the leadership team was discussing ways to reward our employees for accomplishing a particular goal. I was heartened to hear my colleague’s story about how much it meant to her that he stopped by and asked that simple question. I had previously shared with him the quote because of previous discussions I had with him that I knew he cared about his employees and fellow leaders, but they didn’t know it because he didn’t show it.
It is particularly important in the chaotic, turbulent work environment we are working in these days to make sure we take the time to share genuine concern for the people we lead and the other leaders we work with. That simple question, ‘Are you okay’, can go a long way to helping someone that is struggling.
Image: Two people having a discussion with smiles or positive expressions on their faces
