There is a huge lesson for leaders on how their daily actions impact the people they lead – often in ways they never imagined. On Wednesday, November 5th, we flew to Orlando for the 2008 National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Annual Convention. Bernice was speaking and it was the official release of her new book, Real Estate Dough ™ – Your Recipe to Real Estate Success and the companion card game to teach negotiation skills (Real Estate Dough ™ – Negotiation). It was the first time her products were in the NAR bookstore.

We reserved a room at the Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at SeaWorld International Center, and settled in. I could feel it the moment I walked up to the desk to check-in. Manny greeted us with a smile and a warm welcome. Something just felt “right” here.

Over the course of the next six days, I would come to understand why the Hilton Garden Inn at SeaWorld International was ranked among the top of all Hilton Garden properties. Most of my time was spent at the hotel writing my book instead of walking around the NAR Tradeshow floor dressed up as a Chef promoting our RealEstateDough.com site.

Francine and Widelaine happily cleaned my room in the early afternoon as I took a break for lunch or went to the Tradeshow as the Chef. The food, be it breakfast or lunch was amazing thanks to the real Chef’s Tom (F&B Mgr), St. Rose, Felix, and Herbert. On the second day I thanked Tom in front of his staff to say thank you for the great service and delicious food he and his staff delivered. He smiled and said thank you.

Every morning, Cristina, William, Jose, and Jean smiled, warmly greeted us, and directed us to a table. In three days, I knew everyone by name and it felt like home. I love to cook and know good food – Chef Tom and his team of Chefs delivered great food at every occasion.

Then there was the Front Desk: Manny, Steven (Associate of the Year 2007), Nour, and Kelly. Speed, efficiency, and a warm greeting no matter how early or how late! Thanks to all of the staff at the Hilton Garden Inn at SeaWorld International. It didn’t feel like a hotel – it felt like home. What made this even more special was this was Days 6 – 12 out of 17 days on the road.

How do you treat others before and after leading your phone, face-to-face, and virtual meetings? Are you considerate “only when it counts” or do you operate that way 24/7? Do you go out of your way to assist someone despite a busy schedule? When was the last time you stopped to thank someone for the extra effort provided on your behalf? Your actions and behaviors AWAY from your meetings show up during your meeting. Try the following experiment. Spend the next week looking for ways to express your gratitude to everyone around you. Keep short notes of what you are experiencing during this time. You might find leading meetings to be far easier than you ever imagined possible.

Posted by Byron Van Arsdale
Twitter: @headset
Author – Executive Conference Call Leadership
ConferenceCallTraining.com

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