Leadership isn’t about being in-charge; leadership is about taking care of those that are in your charge.  ~Simon Sinek

I just ate my first Chobani yogurt, and I plan to eat a whole lot more!  If you didn’t see Chobani in the news last week, here’s a quick snippet from USA TODAY.

Employees of Greek yogurt maker Chobani are getting an unexpected windfall: an ownership stake in the company that could make millionaires of some.

CEO and Founder Hamdi Ulukaya told the company’s 2,000 full-time employees at its Upstate New York plant Tuesday they’ll receive shares worth up to 10% of the company’s value when it goes public or is sold.

“This isn’t a gift,” Ulukaya said in a letter to employees obtained by USA TODAY.  “It’s a mutual promise to work together with a shared purpose and responsibility.  To continue to create something special and of lasting value.”

“How we build this company matters to me, but how we grow it matters even more,” Ulukaya said in the letter.

“I want you not only to be a part of this growth—I want you to be the driving force of it.  To share in our success, to be rewarded by it.”

As I watched the story about Hamdi Ulukaya on the evening news, the reporter said that while the Chobani employees were grateful for the financial investment, what they really valued was being appreciated.  And I believe that if you truly appreciate someone, you are far more likely to take care of them, just as Hamdi Ulukaya is doing.

One of the things that I find perplexing about this entire situation is that we find it so surprising, uncommon, and maybe even a little shocking.  Let’s look at the facts.  Ulukaya came to the U.S. from Turkey with nothing in 1994 to study business.  His yogurt, Chobani, hit the shelves in 2007, he’s now worth $1.87 billion.  When you think about it, at that level, 10% can’t really be considered a personal sacrifice, but it can be life-changing for his employees.

I believe that we’re surprised and a little shocked – it’s clearly newsworthy given the coverage it’s received –  because it happens so rarely.  That begs the question, what really is our definition of leadership?  Simon Sinek suggests it should be about taking care of those in your charge.  Maybe we should all pause, and ask ourselves, what have we done lately to let those in our charge know that we are taking care of them?  Should Ulukaya’s example of leadership become the rule instead of the exception?