The Ceramic Cup and the Invisible Ones
Simon Sinek once shared a story that’s stayed with me for years — and recently, it hit home in a whole new way.
He spoke about a former Under Secretary of Defense who was invited to speak at a major leadership conference.
When he was still in office, he was flown business class, picked up at the airport, escorted to his hotel, and backstage before his talk, handed coffee in a beautiful ceramic cup.
A year later, after he had left office, he was invited back to the same conference — but this time, no longer holding the title. He flew coach. Took a taxi. Checked himself in. Poured his own coffee from the breakroom — into a Styrofoam cup.
In the middle of his speech, he paused and said:
“You see, the ceramic cup was never meant for me. It was meant for the position I held. I deserved a Styrofoam cup.”
That story is about humility. But more than that — it’s about awareness. About how the world tends to treat us based on status, not character. And how easy it is to forget what really matters.
Recently, I worked a 13-hour shift as a security guard at a well-known production village. (Photo is of the sky that I took that morning). This place sees some of the biggest names in the business — producers, actors, execs, and talent passing through all day long.
I stood at the gate, managing access and doing my job. And while I stood there, I watched:
Most people passed without a glance.
Few said hello.
People walked by with food and drinks — but no one asked if I needed water or had eaten.
And to be clear: I wasn’t offended. I was observing. I didn’t expect a thing.
But here’s what they didn’t know:
✅ I’ve flown on private jets with millionaires.
✅ I’ve managed well-known artists.
✅ I’ve worked closely on film sets with The Rock, Chris Evans, Christina Aguilera, and Millie Bobby Brown.
✅ I’ve been a monthly guest on a national TV talk show.
But on that day, in that role, I was just “the security guy.” And that’s OK.
What I walked away with wasn’t bitterness — it was clarity! The clarity that every person deserves dignity, no matter what their badge says. That you never really know who someone is, where they’ve been, or what they’ve accomplished. And that real leadership is shown not by how you treat those above you, but how you treat the ones you think are “below” you — especially when no one’s watching.
Your position doesn’t make you a leader. Your heart does.
So whether you’re drinking from a ceramic cup or a Styrofoam one, never forget: It’s not the cup that matters. It’s how you treat the hands that pour it.
Leadership is revealed not in titles — but in moments.
Not in attention — but in intention.
Not in big gestures — but in simple acts of kindness.
Be someone who looks others in the eye.
Be someone who says hello.
Be someone who makes space for the ones the world tends to overlook.
Because the person you walk past today might’ve once sat in the very room you’re working to enter.
And whether you're standing at the gate or sitting in the boardroom, you always have a choice:
To reach for the ceramic cup of ego, or carry the Styrofoam cup of humility, and lead with simple acts of kindness every step of the way.
Be well x Laura