I enjoyed a recent article by Simon Sinek, author and business leadership speaker. In it, he recounted a conversation with a former US Undersecretary of Defense. The Undersecretary illustrated leadership through a simple story about coffee cups.
While in office, he was treated with privilege—flying first class, someone carrying his bags, and being handed coffee in a ceramic cup. After leaving office, the same conference treated him like any other guest—flying coach, carrying his own bags, and pouring his own coffee into a paper cup.
His reflection: the perks and respect weren’t for him personally but for the position he held. True leadership isn’t measured by status or perks but by humility, stewardship, and service, especially when the recognition is gone. Leaderships is not about titles, privileges, or recognition—it’s about responsibility, service, and impact.
The “ceramic cup” belongs to the role, not the individual. The real test of leadership is how you show up when all you have is the “paper cup.”
I would also add that I do not define myself by the perks. I am not my Marriott Ambassador status. The Hilton Diamond level is a function of travel. Flying first class is nice but I am not those things.
I measure my success and partly define myself by the impact I make. Did I help someone today in a manner that was meaningful to them? Did I leave the world better by having been here? Were my contributions to society meaningful and valued? After I am gone, will what I tried to achieve continue forward?
Our lives are technically defined by a date of birth and a date of death. Those two dates are separated by a dash. The dash is what is important. What did you do as a leader (and in fact, simply as a human) to make that “dash” memorable?
The Parting Glass
There is a reason why I "close" all of my emails with "In service, Timothy". I literally type, "In service, Timothy" on each one. It is not an auto-signature. Rather it is a reminder to me of who I serve and how important each client is to me. Paper cups are fine for coffee.