441 - Have you ever seen a true leader at work?

I was recently at PPLSI's (Pre Paid Legal Services Inc) 50th Anniversary Convention.

During the last session, there were some great prizes awarded.

A young woman heard her name called as having won a trip to Hawaii.

She was so overwhelmed that she screamed, stumbled, fell over some chairs, then fell up the stairs going to the stage.

It was quite the scene. She was laughing, crying and everything between.

Then she appeared to hyperventilate and had to sit down on stage.

The presenters were visibly nervous and asked her a few times if she was alright.

After everything had calmed down, the young woman was accompanied back stage so the stage could be prepared for our CEO to come out for his closing keynote speech.

Before coming on stage, Jeff Bell, CEO of PPLSI, went to the young woman himself to sit down with her, to make sure she was alright.

He didn't send his staff to inquire about the young woman. He went himself.

Wrap your head around that.

Imagine a CEO getting ready to give an important speech, taking a few minutes before going on stage, to check on the well being of someone.

I was filled with awe at his gesture, which summed up for me the entire atmosphere of the convention and the company's history in that few minutes.

We care deeply about people.

From the time decades ago, when our founder, Harland Stonecipher, invited one of his closest friends to court to observe the injustice that takes place there every day, to this moment at our convention, PPLSI has been all about protecting and empowering people.

It is in the unexpected moments, the unplanned situations, that a leader shows his true nature.

Jeff Bell is a self proclaimed "servant CEO" and he demonstrated his leadership skills, not only on stage, but behind the scenes where no cameras were running.

Have you ever seen a true leader at work?