From the President’s Desk: The Domino’s detour that led to a leadership lesson

Coming out of the gym one late afternoon, I noticed a car across the street, behind Domino’s, with its hood up. Another car was beside it, hood lifted to match, cables strung between the two engine bays. It was 30 degrees and cloudy, so I knew whoever was under those hoods was not having a good day.

I’m no car expert, so I wasn’t sure I could do much beyond what they already had in hand. I drove past the cars on my way to UPS, right next to Domino’s, and it looked like they had things under control.

On my way out of UPS, I glanced again. Still there. I decided to wait it out – just in case they really were in trouble. Ten minutes later, I walked out with some to-go food from the Hawaiian restaurant next door* and gave them one final look. There they were, still stranded in the parking lot.

So I parked my car in an empty spot next to the broken-down van.

I knew I had one advantage over the three guys huddled around the engine: built-in insulation. My “winter parka,” courtesy of large quantities of Pad Thai, turns out to be helpful in below-freezing weather. My uncle had taught me how to jump a car before I could drive, so I offered to check the connections.

For twenty minutes, we fiddled with the cables and connections. The van showed faint signs of life, but not enough to restart, so I offered up my portable jump pack. We hooked it up, and … the van sputtered and died. The jump pack followed shortly after.

We tried the other car, reconnecting the jumper cables, moving them to new spots, giving it a little gas, waiting, watching the sun drop below the horizon as the temperature dropped even lower. I could have called it and walked away. But I knew the driver would have to go back inside, tell his boss his car was dead in the parking lot, and spend his night waiting for a tow truck. Probably not how his family planned for that day to unfold!

You might be wondering why I stood there, in a t-shirt and gym shorts, in below-freezing weather with nightfall approaching, helping three strangers I’d never met before and would likely never see again.

It’s the same question we get about Connico. Why do we invest time and money in things that don’t have to be done? Why do we cover 100% of our employees’ healthcare premiums, offer an Employee Assistance Program, life insurance, disability insurance, and free personal financial education to our team members at no cost? Why do we pay for project teams to meet up in person instead of strictly virtually?

The company would run without any of this. Without our Night Schools (company seminars where our staff go above and beyond every month to present to our team) or without our Energage (the self-reflection and goal-setting tool we use each year instead of performance reviews), our clients’ needs would still be met. They would still get the unbeatable detail and high quality we’re known for. Projects would still be delivered on time. Life would go on.

But we show up for our team every day. It’s not just about delivering projects, supporting our clients, or strengthening the essential systems behind airports, infrastructure, and energy projects. We show up to make a difference in the lives of our people who are doing the work! Even when it’s not required, even when no one is watching, we do it anyway because giving – and giving back – are part of who we are. To my knowledge, Connico is the only company leading in this way.

Back in the Domino’s parking lot, darkness started to creep in, and the cold sent shivers down my spine. Frustration was mounting. Then, I made one last adjustment to the cable’s clamps and saw a spark. I hopped in the driver’s seat and gently toggled the push-to-start … the van roared to life! I watched as relief washed over its owner. I peeled off my gloves to shake hands. They offered to buy me a coffee, but I had a family waiting for me at home, too. We’d given all we could for the night, and it ended up being just enough to make the difference.

I drove home that night ready to show up again the next day, ready to give what I could to my team, clients, and community.

*If you live in or near Indianapolis, Indiana, you MUST check out Aloha Hawaiian BBQ on Allisonville Road in Fishers.

P.S. I recently visited UPS again, and lo and behold, the owner of this van was behind the counter! We didn’t acknowledge each other – it was enough for me to see he was in a position to make it to work each day.