What a Slow Kettle Taught Me About Leadership

Get a Slow Kettle

econwithdra

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One of my best investments this year is a modest kettle from Target. It is inexpensive yet elegant in its simplicity. The kettle can only heat two cups of water at a time and takes three minutes to reach a rolling boil. By conventional standards, it's inefficient, but that inefficiency is precisely why I've grown to cherish it.

Last year, I noticed my work schedule had become relentless. I was constantly rushing from one meeting to the next. The problem became clear when team members would stop by my office, as they should, but would begin with an apologetic "I'm sorry, I know you're heading to a meeting..."

That did not sit well with me because that is not how I lead nor the culture I want to have at work. My role is to be there for them, and they needed to know they were my priority - not just another calendar slot to manage.

This little kettle is my daily reminder this year to slow down and be more intentional. Its three-minute ritual forces me to pause, breathe, and embrace the moment rather than race through it. The very "inefficiency" that might deter others has become my anchor to mindfulness.

So please, stop by my office. Let's share a cup of tea, and in those three minutes of waiting, let's remember that sometimes, the most valuable thing we can give each other is our undivided time.