I had a simple, yet profound moment last week as I walked by the Eiffel Tower.

My student colleague Martin and I wandered along the path and we noticed an interesting trend: hundreds of people standing near this iconic structure, heads down, eyes fixed on their cell phones. It was as if this modern-day wonder in Paris, France did not even exist.

Martin told me a lesson he learned from an earlier teacher was an intentional step to “look up” and observe the sights, sounds, and smells of life. I’ve been thinking about this experience with Martin, his comment, and I wonder how often we miss the simple, yet profound moments of our leadership life story by looking down instead of looking up?

Let me share a quick story and offer an action step to help you DISCOVER the leadership life stories that are around us every day.

Look Up: Discovering Leadership Life Stories in the Everyday

I’m currently co-leading a study abroad experience. Trust me, I recognize the blessing of this opportunity to galivant around Europe! One thing this time in France has reinforced to me is how important the human element of storytelling is in shaping leadership.

In the Montmartre district of Paris, I see this everywhere: outdoor cafés filled with conversation and connection. People are present with one another. When friends arrive, phones disappear—not just flipped over, but put away completely. The focus shifts to the moment and the relationship. It’s been a joy to watch the cellphones disappear into purses or jackets and to observe the back and forth of conversations between people.

Leadership life stories help individuals construct meaning out of their experiences in ways that inspire, guide, and influence both themselves and others. Leadership life stories are oriented outward, grounded in a process of shared meaning-making that is typically cultivated through human interaction and in the spaces where we choose to engage with others.

Now, I’m not anti-cell phone or socials. Our devices have their place. I hope the gentle message you hear is that it is easy to stare down at the 12-inch screen in front of us instead of looking up seeing the 12-miles in front of us and learning from the people and places where the leadership life stories are at.

Two Simple Steps

I’m grateful for the clarity that comes from these “mountaintop” moments like I’m having right now. They help me see how leadership, storytelling, and daily life are connected. But you don’t have to be in Paris to experience this.

Let me offer a simple suggestion to help you prepare for the kind of thinking and presence that leads to moments where leadership life stories can develop:

Step 1: Remove distractions.
Step 2: Focus your attention fully on the person or moment in front of you.

Now, I know these seem simple. But do we really do this in our lives?

For my wife Dawnette and me, one way we practice this is through our morning “coffee talk”—a time to connect and be present with one another. It helps grounds me for the day ahead.

What simple, profound moment might be waiting for you—if only you look up?

Leadership isn’t always found in grand speeches or big decisions. Often, leadership life stories can be born in the quiet, overlooked moments like a walk by a big tower or a soft conversation as the steam waves from the cup of coffee in the morning. When we look up, we create space for those moments to speak—and to shape us.