I can live for two months on a good compliment. –Mark Twain

A few years out of college, I worked my way into the wild world of advertising sales.  A good friend worked at American Trucking Association, and they needed someone young and hungry to cover East Coast sales for their trucking publication,Transport Topics.  What I didn’t know about trucking could fill an 18-wheel semi-trailer, but I dove in as best as possible and devoured everything I could get my hands about the powerful advertisers in the business.

 

At the very top of the pyramid, in a class by itself, was Mack Trucks.  Headquartered in Allentown, PA, the iconic bulldog dominated the hallways of this classically American institution.  My first trip there was filled with a mixture of intimidation and awe, trying to navigate through the pristine corridors of power.  Eventually, I learned that all roads led through Dan Danko, the ageless head of Advertising Sales.

 

My first meeting with Dan (I called him “Mr. Danko”, but he quickly corrected me) was cordial but uneventful.  I asked a lot of questions and showed proper deference for the brand.  In my subsequent meetings, I learned more about his goals, both personally and professionally, and we developed a comfortable rapport despite my limited knowledge of the business.  After nearly a year of information gathering, I finally secured a meeting for Dan to meet my boss and hear our formal pitch.

 

It is the first time I can remember being nervous.  I was the youngest person in the room by over twenty years, and I hadn’t exactly grown up in the “business”.  But I teed up the meeting, presented the overview and then went back and forth with my boss on the pitch.  At the end of the presentation, Dan Danko slowly nodded his head but remained silent. Did we blow it?  Did we crush it?  Were we a laughing stock? I had no idea!  After what seemed an eternity, he looked directly at my boss.

 

“That was very thorough.  But I want to take a minute to embarrass Rob in front of our leadership.”

 

No!!! My stomach dropped and my ears started to ring with impending dread.  My career would be over before it began.

 

But, of course, that was only an expression.  Dan Danko went on to offer heart-felt compliments about my demeanor and approach to life and then stated he was ready to commit to an advertising schedule based on my efforts.  I couldn’t believe it!

 

Looking back on that day, I realize that Dan Danko went out of his way to offer a massive compliment that he knew would catapult my career.  He could have just committed after the meeting and left my efforts completely out of it.  He did not have to step up in such a personal way in front of my boss and company leadership.  That thoughtful and empathetic gesture had a huge impact on my life.

 

And imagine how much more we could accomplish together if we compliment the meaningful people in our lives.

 

Empathy and Leadership

 

As we climb the ladder of success, we soon realize that we can’t achieve any major goal on our own.  There are those who offer general guidance and support.  There are those who remove obstacles and smooth out the path for us.  There are those who point out where we have strayed, and offer advice on how to get back on the path.  There are still others who toil on our behalf without the expectation of acknowledgement.

 

It’s not enough to just think about these people.  We have to let them know how meaningful they are to our careers and our success.  We have to recognize them both publicly and privately. We have to help them as much,if not more, than they have helped us. The power of a thoughtful compliment can change lives.  And it is one of the telltale signs of true leadership.

 

Who Doesn’t Love a Great Compliment?

 

Of course, this recognition is equally important in our everyday lives.  The spouse who does all the little things to run the household smoothly.  The unsung hero on the team who works hard and never complains.  The student who struggles but grinds on the test for a higher grade.  The child who finally makes a good decision after a series of poor ones.  

 

We have to be generous with our compliments.  We don’t have to go out of our way to be fake or disingenuous.  But when someone delivers in an exceptional way, we need to shout it from the rooftops!  Because when the tides turn and we face a difficult stretch, a good compliment can serve as a springboard of resilience.  And sometimes, we need to store up those compliments like a camel just to survive the Sahara-like doldrums of our lives.

 

We don’t work hard or do the right thing just for the recognition.  But who doesn’t love a great compliment?  Thank you, Dan Danko.