No one is too important for small tasks

The philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb speaks in his books about the so-called “waiter test”. How someone treats waiters and service staff reveals a great deal about their character.

Here is the equivalent from our everyday working life:
There are two kinds of leaders: some talk about values and “servant leadership” in seminars—and others help stack the chairs after the workshop.

I know what many people are thinking now:
“That has nothing to do with leadership.”
Or: “That’s a waste of time for someone with that level of responsibility.”

I see it differently. Because it is precisely in these small moments of everyday life that attitude, humility, and character reveal themselves.

Another great example is the New Zealand All Blacks, probably the most successful rugby team in the world—with a winning rate of over 75% over decades.

And yet their true greatness does not reveal itself on the field—but afterwards.
After every match, win or loss, some players stay behind. They take brooms and garbage bags and clean the locker room. The New Zealand All Blacks call it “Sweeping the Sheds.”

It is a deeply embedded ritual. A lived culture. And a sign of humility and respect.

The idea comes from their internal values program “Legacy.” It states: “Better people make better All Blacks.”

The coach of the New Zealand All Blacks, Graham Henry, once said: “If you take care of the character, the results take care of themselves.”

This ritual achieves three things:

1) It breaks the ego: After performing on the big stage or in the stadium, it reminds everyone that no one stands above another.

2) It creates equal dignity: When the captain wipes the floor alongside a newcomer, connection replaces distance.

3) It makes culture visible: Values are not explained—they are lived.

Richie McCaw, who is considered one of the greatest New Zealand All Blacks players of all time, put it perfectly: “You’re just a custodian of the jersey.”
You don’t own the jersey—you are only allowed to wear it for a while.

Your responsibility is to leave it in a better condition than you received it.

The same is true for leadership.

Humility does not mean making yourself small or denying your own worth. It also does not mean constantly holding back or trying to please everyone.
Humility means having clarity about your own weight—and about the limits of your own importance. It means placing your own role in a realistic perspective.

A humble leader knows: they are part of the whole, not its center.
They lead without placing themselves above others.
They hold power without misusing it.
They know their strengths—and remain willing to learn.

At its core, humility is ego management.