Leading with Love, One Small Gesture at a Time

The other day, I arrived at a newly-opened local coffee shop for a meeting.

I ordered a coffee…and a chocolate chip cookie from the bakery case in front. 

The owner rang up my order and said, 

“Let me warm up that chocolate chip cookie for you, and I'll bring it out.”

He proceeded to do just that, and arrived a few moments later with a perfectly warm and perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookie, delicately positioned on a plate. 

Midway through my meeting, when I started to get up to refill my coffee, he noticed me doing so from across the cafe. He headed over to our table, picked up my mug, and refilled it for me. 

These small gestures of care were so meaningful.

And they were beautiful examples of the first invitation of Expansive Impact, which is Be Compassionate: Lead with Love. This begins with paying attention and simply noticing what is happening around us. 

These acts of care immediately set this coffee shop apart in a city filled with coffee shops. 

Amidst the challenges and uncertainties we are facing in our communities and beyond, it feels like we all need these small acts of connection and care more than ever.