When I was a kid, I lived in a small town. Every couple of weeks my Dad would tell me to hop in the truck and we would head off to the local Barber Shop.
I hated it.
It always made my neck itch and I usually had to take a bath afterwards. What kid wants to deal with an itchy neck and a bar of soap?
But I always got the feeling that my Dad had a different view of the Barber Shop. For him it was a place to shoot the breeze with a few of the locals. The men would sit around and talk about sports and politics while the Barber dished out the itchy necks to the sons.
Looking back I can see that there was value in the Barber Shop for a leader like my Dad. Several things come to mind.
1 – It kept him aware of what was relevant in our town.
2 – It was a place for him to share ideas and listen to the opinions of his friends and neighbors.
3 – It gave him an escape from the stresses of the office.
4 – It was a place where he could laugh.
Today’s leaders are no different from my Dad’s generation. We still need outlets where we can be a part of the conversation.
You may choose a different venue, but the values are still the same. Find a place where you can listen, learn, and laugh and you will be a better leader.
And if you decide to take your son along, don’t expect him to enjoy it if there is a Barber involved.
i2i,
Randy
Where is your favorite place to hang out with others?
I hated the barber shop growing up. The barber’s name was Harold and he always asked me if I had a girlfriend yet–I was only six! But he did have some cool large mouth bass on the wall that I like to look at as he harassed me.
Every good old school Barber Shop had a fish on the wall. Sounds like Harold was a piece of work!
When I get to Heaven I am going to get my haircut at Floyd’s Barber Shop. I’m sure it will be there!
Floyd will probably have a two chair shop up there!
I like hanging out at our local waffle house or chick-fil-a with a group of guys doing life together. If waffle house and/or chick-fil-a had any idea of the lives that are being impacted at their food chains, they would be amazed!
A lot of life happens across WH tables!