Years ago I wrote a long version of this post for a publication. I found it recently and thought it would be a good blog post (though you could thank me for cutting over 50% of the length).
The gist of the article is simple. I learned three key things about leadership while working in a junkyard, and here they are.
Leaders go home with grease under their fingernails.
Time after time I’ve watched supposed leaders avoiding the messy parts of their jobs. They over-delegate, ignore, or explain away the really tough challenges.
The junkyard was more egalitarian. The owners, bosses, and guys working in sales also pulled parts, operated the smelly diesel forklift, and spread sawdust across the pools of grease on the concrete floor. Dirty fingernails were unavoidable.
Jesus had grease under his fingernails too—he grew up with the calloused, cracked hands of a tradesman. And he didn’t seem to mind. I always smile when I read about Jesus spitting on the eyes of a blind man in order to heal him. That detail has a “roll up your sleeves” feel to it.
Not all leadership positions require us to come home literally dirty. But all leaders should be ready, at least figuratively, to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to get a job done.
Leaders are the first to grab the fire extinguisher.
I lost track of how many times we got a night call about a fire at the junkyard. When you have hundreds of cars leaking oil, grease, and gas, fires were tough to avoid. It was also common to get a call from the police about a break in. Or sometimes a key employee would take a day off without telling anyone, and we’d be scrambling to cover for him. Point being, there was always a fire to put out, either literally or metaphorically.
Those unplanned events remind me of Jesus sleeping in a boat during a storm. As waves build around them, Jesus’ disciples grow frantic. Then Jesus wakes up from his nap (probably a bit grumpy like most of us when we first wake up), and calmly stops the storm.
There was no hesitation in his response. Whenever a problem springs up, a leader has to be ready to grab the fire extinguisher—literally and metaphorically—and be part of the solution.
Leaders buy the coffee and donuts.
Although expressed in a rough and tumble way that would never get past HR rules today, appreciation, reward, and thankfulness were part of the junkyard culture. The boss often bought coffee and donuts for everyone, or slipped a few extra dollars to a guy with a new baby. A hard worker was rewarded and offered grace whenever possible.
In John 21 we read that the disciples have been fishing all night. Remember what Jesus had been doing? Cooking breakfast for them! I love how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message: “Breakfast is ready.” Simple, generous, human leadership.
So three leadership lessons from the junkyard: Leaders go home with grease under their fingernails, leaders are the first to grab the fire extinguisher, and leaders buy the coffee and donuts.
Work hard, serve others, and be generous. Good combination.