Do you See the janitor?

In a leadership offsite, a housekeeping staff member walked in quietly to adjust the air conditioning.

Head down. Careful not to interrupt. 

No one noticed.

Except one participant, who stood up, smiled, and said, “Thank you.”

Later that day, while discussing unnoticed contributors in organisations, the facilitator asked a simple question: 
“How many of you saw him?”

Silence. 

Then someone said, “I didn’t. And I was sitting right there.”

No one was called out.
No lesson was delivered.
Just a pause. 

In our work with leaders, this moment shows up often—in different forms. The people who keep systems running are rarely the ones we talk about. Yet culture is shaped less by what we say in meetings and more by what we consistently notice outside them. 

Leadership isn’t always visible at the front of the room. 
Sometimes, it’s revealed in how attentively we see the room. 
Before tools. Before strategy.
Awareness. 

Do you see the janitor?

#Leadership #Culture #AwarenessAtWork #HumanSystems #LearningAtWork

This reflection draws from our ongoing work with leaders and teams on noticing what quietly shapes culture in Wide Views.