Iron Sharpens Iron Series: Matt Gillis, LEADER
If you are new to the Iron Sharpens Iron Series, I urge you to check out the inaugural post to learn more about what the series is all about.
Iron sharpens iron, and the people in my life sharpen me. They make me better. They make me more than I can be alone. And this series is about interactions I’ve had that make me better, that change my perspective, and that challenge me to grow.
This is all about interactions that have left a lasting impression on me. No matter how small, or short the interaction, if it leaves an impression worth sharing, it will live in this series.
Matt Gillis
Matt was the CEO of clean.io at the time of this writing, and continues to be a leader in the Ad Tech industry.
The Sharpening of Iron
Current events have gotten me thinking quite a lot about what it really means to be a great leader (given that we’ve just witnessed one of the most egregious examples of what it looks like to be a terrible one).
And what ended up happening as I thought about it, was that it raised memories of leaders I’ve directly worked with. People who have led me. And it brought to mind one shining example of an interaction that I will never forget.
Most of the entries in these series are written pretty close to the time of the interaction that inspired them. This entry, on the other hand, goes back nearly a year. It recalls an interaction that was so simple, yet so powerful that it has stuck with me.
An interaction that still warms my heart when I think of it today.
An interaction that has shaped my relationship with the person who shared it with me.
An interaction that showed me what it means to be a real leader, with a person who I will follow pretty much anywhere.
What’s funny, is that when I tell you this story, the interaction will seem so small and so simple. But that is the beauty of it. Real leadership doesn’t have to be complicated. The simplest, smallest acts are often the most powerful.
Simple, small acts are where true character is shown. I’ve seen simple and small acts that are incredible, like the one you’ll read about shortly.
And I’ve seen simple and small acts that are very negative, but because they are small they can be brushed off. People will chalk it up to a misunderstanding. “He can’t possibly mean what I think he did,” or “I’m sure it was just a joke.”
In both cases, these small and simple acts show the very core of who a person is.
And, when done right, these small and simple acts are what makes great leaders great.
In Matt’s case, the small and simple act that I’ll never forget came not long after I started working with the incredible team at clean.io. I had just finished a deliverable that, while somewhat routine in my line of work, I was still quite proud of.
Matt was the recipient of said deliverable, and I sent the work his way to get final approval as I typically would. Not long after, I got a chat message asking if I was free for a call.
Uh oh. That sentence rarely means anything good.
I told him I was free to chat and prepared for the worst.
Matt called me and said simply, “I just wanted you to hear my voice when I said ‘Thank you.’”
He went on to compliment the deliverable, and thank me for the work I’d been putting in. But, needless to say, I was blown away. The fact that he took the time to call for no other reason to make sure I heard him say thank you, when I know how busy he is, was enough to make me feel like my heart had grown three sizes that day.
So thank you Matt, for reminding me that small acts are often bigger than large ones, and that in these small acts we see who people truly are.
