Sarah Prout’s two truths of life

What makes a lasting impression is empathy, kindness and truth, says latest 18:83 speaker

One of Sarah Prout’s most profound lessons in leadership and influence didn’t come from a packed conference room, an offsite retreat or a viral TED talk — it was a sandwich.

At the latest 18:83 Speaker Series talk, during Homecoming Week, the Vice President for Marketing & Communications at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation talked about the people you remember in the sea of faces and encounters of daily life.

For her, one of those people was the man working the night shift at a hotel. After a delayed flight and exhausting travel day, arriving in the rain, Prout walked up to check in and heard exactly what she needed at that moment: a sandwich was waiting for her in her room.

“How did you know I needed that,” Prout said, recalling the experience for her audience at the Memorial Union Social Stair.

The man shrugged and offered a simple reply, “People travelling late, arriving exhausted in the rain, usually means they haven’t eaten.”

And that moment was a revelation. Leadership isn’t a hyper-manicured, constantly rerouted version of yourself, Prout said. It’s being the person that sets others at ease and makes them feel seen.

“He chose to read the weather inside of me, not just what it looked like outside,” she said.

At some point, years later, Prout returned to that hotel and asked about the man. She heard that “Mr. Dale” had passed away the year prior, but that everyone working in his stead knew of the sandwiches he prepared for weary travelers — an enduring legacy built on steady, quiet kindness and empathy.

“Empathy isn’t optional,” Prout said. “It’s a thing that changes everything.”

Her point on empathy is backed by data. Companies striving for cultures of empathy see 37% more revenue per employee, she shared, and stress-induced cortisol levels drop by 20% when confronted with kindness.

Prout went on to share two truths of life from her experiences, in her short time on stage.

First, getting older is a privilege. Not everyone gets to do it. Every blemish, scar and gray hair makes up your life’s story.

Second, getting stronger is a choice, mentally, physically and emotionally.

“Life doesn’t wait for us to be ready, but it invites us to grow,” Prout said. “Choose growth when it’s quiet, inconvenient and when no one is watching, because there will be moments in life that demand your very best. The catch is that you don’t always get a warning…

“Live in a way that, when the moment comes, you’re already the person everyone hoped to see walk through that door.”