Walk Like a Duck, Talk Like a Duck, Lead Like a Duck

Walk Like a Duck, Talk Like a Duck, Lead Like a Duck

Have you ever looked at your team and thought…
“How am I going to get all my ducks in a row?”

You want them to care.
To be safe. To follow the rules. To meet expectations.

But here’s the hard truth:
If they don’t see you doing it, they won’t believe it matters.

Because if you’re not walking like the duck…
and you’re not talking like the duck…
how are you going to get your ducks in a row?

🥾 Learn the Work. Live the Standard.

You can’t lead from a distance.
And you can’t expect excellence from your team if you haven’t taken the time to understand the tasks you’ve assigned.

Want your team to follow safety protocols?
Start by making sure you know what’s actually required.

✔️ Know the PPE.
✔️ Know the procedure.
✔️ Know what your people are being asked to do — and how often that ask changes in real time.

Because while an ISO binder might tick a box, it doesn’t teach culture.
And your job as a leader isn’t just to enforce the rules — it’s to embody them.

So no, you don’t get a pass because you're "just popping in."
It doesn't matter if you’re the supervisor, the plant manager, or the CEO —
If you’re on the floor, and the rule is safety shoes, you wear the shoes.

When you don’t? You’ve just shown your team that the rules are optional.

And let’s be honest — if the person at the top doesn’t follow the standard, why should anyone else?

🧠 Understand First. Expect Second.

This isn’t about ego — it’s about empathy.

You don’t need to be able to run every machine or do every job perfectly.
But you do need to be curious enough to ask:

• What does this task really require day to day?

• Where might I be expecting results without providing context?

• Is the training process actually matching what’s happening on the floor?

And if the answer is “I don’t know”… that’s okay.
But start somewhere.

🪜 Talk to one person.
🔍 Walk through one process.
📄 Review one SOP and compare it to what’s actually happening.

Because culture? It doesn’t change in a day.
It shifts one humble question at a time.

And leadership? It doesn’t begin with control.
It begins with connection.

🕊️ Closing Thoughts from the Common Sense Files

You can have the best vision in the world.
But if your team doesn’t trust how you show up — the message falls flat.

So start where it matters most:

✔️ Show up.
✔️ Learn the work.
✔️ Wear the boots.
✔️ Follow the standard.
✔️ Model the culture you’re trying to build.

Because leadership isn't about being above the work.
It’s about being willing to walk through it — safely, humbly, and in full PPE.

And when you walk like the duck and talk like the duck…
that’s when the whole flock gets in line — not from fear, but from respect.