Fix What You Can: Leadership Lessons from Picking Up Trash and Knowing When to Step Away
- Marcus D. Taylor, MBA
- Jan 14
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
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Some of the most lasting leadership lessons do not come from titles, applause, or formal authority. They come from ordinary moments where no recognition is expected and no one is keeping score.
Two moments shaped how I understand responsibility.
One happened early in my Army career while picking up trash.
The other happened years later at a national conference when I chose absence over appearance.
Both taught me the same principle.
Responsibility is not performative.
The Day I Picked Up Trash
I was at Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia. As I walked across the street, I noticed a few plastic bags drifting along the road. Nothing dramatic. Nothing urgent. Just trash where it did not belong.
People walked past it.
I crossed the street and picked it up.
At that time, trainees were required to remain close to their battle buddy. As I carried the trash toward a receptacle, a Command Sergeant Major noticed me. The training patch on my arm told him I was not cadre.
He asked, “Where’s your battle buddy?”
I pointed across the street.
“Why did you leave him?”
I told him the truth. I saw trash. I went to pick it up. I planned to rejoin my battle buddy right after.
Then he asked the question that stayed with me.
“Why didn’t your battle buddy come with you?”
Again, I answered honestly.
Because he probably thought it was just trash.
Because it was not in our direct path.
Because he probably did not think it was worth the effort.
Because it was not our responsibility.
The Command Sergeant Major paused as I stood at parade rest with my hands locked behind my back. He smirked.
“You did two things right,” he said. “First, you took it upon yourself to correct an issue. Second, you modeled what right looks like without being told.”
Then he added one correction.
“Next time, invite your battle buddy to come with you.”
The lesson was never about trash.
It was about ownership.
Quiet Responsibility Without an Audience
There was no pressure to act. No order. No reward. I simply saw something out of place and corrected it because I could.
That moment shaped how I approach leadership and daily life. If I have the time, opportunity, and capability to correct something, I do. Not everything is mine to fix directly, but responsibility does not disappear just because it is not assigned.
Sometimes responsibility means direct action.
Sometimes it means escalation to someone equipped to intervene.
What it never means is indifference.
If a dog is loose and aggressive, you do not intervene physically. You call the right people.
If you see a child wandering alone and scared, you do not look away. You notify someone who can help.
If violence is occurring, you do not shrug and move on. You alert authorities.
Responsibility does not require heroics.
It requires judgment.
When Stepping Away Is the Right Call
Years later, the same lesson resurfaced in a completely different setting.
My wife and I were attending a national conference in Arizona. The night before, we enjoyed ourselves responsibly, but we did not hydrate properly. Add summer heat and heavy walking, and the next morning I was severely dehydrated.
I felt sick, lightheaded, and unstable.
I knew exactly what I needed. Immediate IV hydration.
The problem was timing.
That morning, a conference closed meeting was scheduled. At the time, I was Vice President of the organization. However, my president was present, along with other officers fully capable of covering the meeting and relaying information to me later. This was not a single point of failure plus I was not presenting anything and just being present during the announcements and other voting actions.
I informed the group that I would miss the meeting, address my condition, and rejoin once I was functional.
Shortly after, I received a text from a past president.
“You are the Vice President. Your presence is most important right now. It looks bad that you are not here. You must show up, because it doesn't look good.”
I was irritated at first. Then I thought it through.
If I showed up, I would not be effective. I would only be visible. Worse, I could disrupt the meeting entirely if my condition worsened.
So, I responded calmly.
“Thank you for your concern. I would rather the meeting proceed without interruption than stop everything to address a medical issue that I can prevent.”
That was not avoidance.
That was responsibility.
Performance Versus Function
Some people prioritize optics over outcomes.
They value being seen over being useful.
Attendance over contribution.
Presence over preparedness.
In both situations, trash on a road and dehydration at a conference, the same question applied.
What choice best serves the larger environment?
Sometimes leadership means stepping in quietly and fixing something that should not exist. Other times it means stepping aside so others can proceed without burden.
I also held myself accountable. I knew why I was dehydrated. I corrected it. That was not indulgence. That was stewardship.
Showing up broken helps no one.
The Problem With Performative Living
The deeper issue is not that problems exist. It is that we only address them when people are watching.
We perform responsibility.
People curate appearances while ignoring what sits behind them. Polished presentation masking neglected habits, chaotic spaces, and unresolved issues.
I have seen people look flawless on screen while their environments tell a completely different story.
The performance becomes the focus.
The substance fades.
That is how trash accumulates in organizations, leadership cultures, and personal lives.
People want to look right without living right.
Practical Recommendations
Living the Lesson Without Making It Performative
These lessons mean nothing if they remain stories. Responsibility only matters when it shows up in decisions, especially when no one is watching.
Prioritize function over visibility
Before showing up, ask whether your presence will improve the outcome or simply satisfy an expectation. Leadership is not attendance. It is effectiveness.
Correct what you can and escalate what you cannot
Responsibility does not mean fixing everything yourself. It means ensuring something is addressed appropriately rather than ignored.
Do the right thing without announcing it
If an action loses value without recognition, question the motive. Quiet correction builds trust. Performative correction builds suspicion.
Hold yourself accountable before others must
Self care, preparation, and discipline are responsibilities. If you caused the issue, own it. If you can correct it without burdening others, do so.
Invite others without turning it into spectacle
Model responsibility rather than preaching it. Invite participation when appropriate, not to shame, but to show what right looks like in motion.
Audit your own trash regularly
Examine habits, environments, and decisions you avoid because they are inconvenient. Ask what you expect others to fix while you walk past it.
Final Reflection
Responsibility is not about control.
Leadership is not about visibility.
Integrity is not about performance.
The true measure of character is what you correct because it should not exist, not because someone is watching.
Cultures that endure are built by people willing to quietly pick up the trash and wise enough to step away when their presence would only get in the way.
Awesome! You made some very valid points.
Excellent article, Cuz! This is a timely and sharp article. Integrity is missing in our society today, and we must strive to lead by example but not make it a spectacle or a festival. It’s not about the show, it’s about doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Great article. I think everyone (leader) can learn a thing or two from this article.