Leading by Example: A Week in the Warehouse
I was the Head of Engineering at a company that sold physical products. My job was to manage the engineering team, ensure our platforms were running well, meet the client, make all technical decisions, and meet deadlines. But one Christmas season, something unexpected happened that taught me a lot about leadership and teamwork.
The holiday season was always busy for the company, especially the Christmas time, but that year was different. We had more orders than ever, and the warehouse didn’t have enough staff to handle them. Orders were piling up, and customers were waiting. It was a challenging situation, and the team in our warehouse was struggling. The day came when everyone realized that it was impossible to deliver all the goods that were promised to be delivered on time before Christmas. The HR team tried to get temporary warehouse staff to cover the situation, but they could not find enough people to handle it.
In this situation, the CEO sent out a message asking if anyone could spare some time to help the warehouse team. I decided to step in. After ensuring my engineering work was covered, I spent an entire week working in the warehouse.
At first, it felt strange. My usual work involved meetings, solving technical problems, and reviewing designs. Now, I was scanning the boxes, organizing products, printing the PO and putting them into the boxes. As we were not trained, we were not lifting or shifting, and we were doing most of the light work. But as the days went by, I became an important part of the delivery process. I learned a lot about the warehouse team’s work and how hard they worked to keep our customers happy. I also realized how little I knew about this part of the business before. Working with them gave me a new respect for what they did.
My decision to help had two big effects. First, it helped the warehouse team catch up on orders and meet customer deadlines. Second, it showed the rest of the company that no job was too small for anyone, no matter their position. It was a reminder that we were all on the same team, working toward the same goal. Even though I managed to break a couple of wine bottles and misplace a few items, the team highly appreciated my work.
But not everyone felt the same way. Some of my colleagues thought it was wrong to ask them to work in the warehouse. They felt it wasn’t their job and that their time was better spent on their own work. This surprised me, but it also showed that not everyone sees teamwork the same way. For some, stepping outside their role felt like a step-down. For me, it was a chance to lead by example and show that sometimes, you must do whatever it takes to help the team.
Looking back, that week in the warehouse was one of my best experiences in terms of teamwork. It taught me that leadership isn’t just about making decisions or managing people—it’s about being willing to do the hard work when it’s needed. It’s about understanding every part of the business and valuing everyone’s contribution. Most importantly, it’s about setting an example that inspires others to step up when times are tough.
Ultimately, we got through that busy Christmas season, and the company became stronger. But the real win was the lesson I learned: true leadership isn’t about your title or job description—it’s about action, understanding, and doing whatever it takes to help your team succeed.