The Waldorf Principle

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.

"We'd like a room, please," the husband requested. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town. "All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."

When the couple declined, the clerk insisted. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," he told them. So the couple agreed to spend the night in his room. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You're an exceptional man. Finding people who are both friendly and helpful is rare these days. You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."

Two years passed. The clerk was still managing the hotel in Philly when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed was a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay him a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky. "That," he said, "is the hotel I'd like you to manage."

The old man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw how his simple act of sacrificial service would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.

The way to the top with people is not just through service. It's through extravagant, sacrificial service. When someone goes out of their way to help you, it makes all the difference in the world.

-- It's the difference between getting a grumpy, inattentive waitress vs. a professional, friendly server who you actually enjoy talking to and who allows a special order to fit your tastes.
- It's the difference between calling customer support and plowing through automated menus, verses being instantly connected to live person who goes out of their way to help.
- It's the difference between having a professor who just tolerates your questions vs. having one who spends extra time and goes the extra mile to help you really grasp the material.

When others do their very best to serve us, their influence increases. We don't look down on them for serving us. On the contrary, our respect level for them rises. We're often so impressed that we start considering ways we can serve them in return! Their attitude and initiative is attractive. As I discuss this with people, few disagree with the idea. However, many don't buy it. Most don't serve others this way because they fear being looked down upon. They struggle with pride. They feel serving others creates a view of them that is lower; after all-those at the top are being served! Let me play a little game with you to show how wrong this assumption is.

Question: In your past, who has served you more than anyone else in the world? The answer for most of us is our mother. Moms usually do anything to serve their kids. Now, think about this. Do you think LESS of your mother for serving you, or MORE of her? My guess is, your love and respect for her goes up when she sacrificially serves.

It's no different with us. When we serve others, our influence increases as well. My friend Zig Ziglar is famous for saying "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want!" It's true. He's one of the most humble servant-leaders I've ever met, and he's at the top of his field.

He's not the only one. Most of the great leaders I've run across have embraced the Waldorf Principle. Case in point: When Michael Eisner was CEO of Disney, his job description included "trash collecting." Just imagine, the CEO of a billion dollar organization, picking up trash at his own theme park. Think about the kind of effect that must have had on his employees. He could have just ordered someone else to do it.

It's ironic. You'd think that true influence would come through force - ordering others around and letting people know you're the boss. But just the opposite is true. Real influence comes through humbly serving others. It's one of the greatest leadership paradoxes in existence.

No Comments »

Nobody has shared their thoughts about this article yet. Be the first by filling out the form below and joining in the conversation!

Commenting is not available in this section entry.