Growth Instigators Hotline

#458 A Welcome Mat. Get stepped on.

• Aaron Havens • Season 5 • Episode 458

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A welcome mat gets stepped on and still does its job—simple, obvious, and surprisingly sharp as a leadership metaphor. We take that image and press it into the real moments where pressure bites: a tense check-in, a careless comment, a new hire who’s never opened a bank account or navigated a driving permit. Purpose sounds strong on paper, but staying steady under weight is the real test. We look at how resilient identity lets you absorb impact without becoming a doormat, and how empathy paired with structure turns shaky first steps into sustainable progress.

I share a candid story about walking an employee through early milestones that many take for granted. It’s a reminder that growth isn’t evenly distributed—your experience doesn’t equal your team’s experience. When leaders forget that, small interactions can cause big ripple effects. When we remember it, coaching becomes specific: one clear next step, a timeline, and a boundary. We dig into how to hold standards without shaming, how to redirect frustration into practical guidance, and how to keep your why intact when human moments bruise the ego.

We also explore the quiet power of gratitude. Someone once let us learn on their time, their patience, and sometimes their pain. That memory fuels patience in the present. The aim isn’t to excuse poor behavior; it’s to convert chaos into competence. By staying human—naming the hurt, reinforcing expectations, and believing in the circle of growth—we build teams where beginners become contributors and pressure becomes practice. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a leader who needs it, and leave a review with your toughest “step one” story. Your insight might be the next welcome mat someone needs.

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SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to message 458 of the Growth Instigators Hotline where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it a deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can a welcome mat remind us of today? Okay, go with me here. A welcome mat gets stepped on without losing purpose. A welcome mat doesn't get offended by footsteps. Resilient leaders know how to handle pressure without losing identity. Right? Oh yeah. It's cute to say the whole Simon Cynic start with your why thing. Reality is though, no matter how much you are in your why, no matter how much you think you can handle pressure without losing identity, newsflash, you are human. No matter how much of a quote unquote seasoned or quote unquote mature or quote unquote experienced leader you are, the smallest of interaction with an employee can have the biggest repercussions both internally and externally. I'm walking an employee through getting a driving permit right now. A driving permit. Some people are on step one. Please don't judge others if they are on step one, getting a driving permit, opening their very first bank account, being held accountable for the very first time in their life. Just because you have learned, just because you are mature, just because you have grown, doesn't mean your employees have had the same course in life. As an employee, as a business owner, you will get stepped on. That is a fact. It will hurt. Even if you think you are thick skinned enough, we are all human. Please don't give up on others. Someone let you cut your teeth on them. It's the whole Lion's King thing kind of thing, the whole circle of life. Wow. A powerful lesson from a welcome Matt today. If you have thoughts you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them. Contact me at growth instigators.com or leave me a message after the beep. Keep instigating growth in all you do.