The last time I moved into a new house, it was stressful. Actually, that’s not the most accurate statement—every time I’ve moved, it has been stressful!

There are so many decisions that come with moving. Finding a new home. Making an offer. Going through the closing process. Choosing the day to move. Packing—so much packing. And then unpacking and trying to settle into a new space.

It’s a lot.

During the last move, I found myself face-to-face with a leadership lesson.

I had packed and organized everything, and then the movers arrived. It was clear they knew what they were doing. They walked through the house, talked through a plan, explained how they would approach it, and then got to work.

In high school, I worked for a few years at a fast-food restaurant. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was a much-needed paycheck. I was fortunate that my first real job included a manager who treated people well. He knew our names. He noticed when someone was having a hard day. He cared about the customers, but he also cared about the people behind the counter.

Looking back, I didn’t have the language for it then, but this was healthy leadership.