Good Managers Manage People, Great Managers Clean the Toilets

One of the great traditions in New Orleans is the annual Christmas night party at MidCity Lanes Rock & Bowl.  Owner John Blancher bought the run down bowling alley and in 1993 began offering live Zydeco (look it up!) music every Thursday night to bring in crowds...the idea was a success and eventually led to live music every night...along with bowling...and a bar.  We lost Rock & Bowl to Katrina in 2005, but John brought it back better (and bigger) than ever.  Because its a bowling alley, all ages are welcome and its not unusual to see families, even little kids, there on a Friday night enjoying the music.  


Rock & Bowl is John's passion.  Every time I've been there ~ and I've been there ALOT ~ John is present...talking to customers, stocking the bar, asking single girls standing on the edge of the dance floor to dance...occasionally hula-hooping or getting up on stage with the band.  Christmas night he hosts a family-friendly early evening event of bowling and live musically parodies of Christmas songs. We go every year, its a family tradition.


This year, I was ordering food at the kitchen window when our youngest, Harrison, came up to me and said "Johnny's in the bathroom, unstopping a toilet."  He was amazed because, you see, John is something of a rock star in New Orleans and has dozens of staff to take care of such unpleasant tasks.  To him, seeing Johnny Blanchard unstop a toilet was akin to seeing Mick Jagger taking out the trash.  


But Rock & Bowl is John's passion.  As I was standing at the kitchen waiting for food, he came by, smiled, said "Hello and Merry Christmas!" and grabbed a couple of his staff, said "Grab some towels and come with me!" and went back to clean up the bathroom with his team.  


He doesn't ignore the work.  He doesn't wait for others to do the work.  He doesn't order his staff to do the work for him.  HE leads the way, sets the example, is the FIRST to do whatever mundane task is required to keep the customers happy...hauls ice to the bar, moves cases of beer to the bar, mops the floor, cleans the tables...even occasionally hula-hoops and dances with the pretty girls.  


I told Harrison, "It's not what John DOES, it's what John IS...he's passionate about his place, wants it to be the BEST in New Orleans, and KNOWS it starts with him. And that's true of ANY great leader."


So, in 2012, I'm going to endeavor to be the "John Blancher of Healthcare"...with the hula-hooping, of course!!