Story of Kindness at a BART Station

I'd like to share with you a story about how I earned a free ride on a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Also, share insights from a situation where I had to deal with a mini-crisis management situation.

I had to go to my friend's birthday party, but I lacked a clipper card that would have allowed me to take BART. I asked for assistance near the entrance gate to help me buy a clipper card because I was running behind schedule. I had no cash on hand because my debit card was declined and NFC payments weren't processing.

The assistant then begins probing into my school and length of stay in San Francisco. I attempted to purchase a clipper card seven times, each time with the assistant standing right next to me keeping a tight eye on me. I began to feel anxious and concerned that I was ill-equipped to handle the circumstance. I immediately exuded confidence as I began to have conversations about my past experiences and my plans to attend a business school with the ticket assistant at the BART.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” -Plato

"I really need to search for information about Hult International business school on Google," he said. There was a sense of relief because I was able to realize that, whenever I am speaking with somebody, the goal should always come first.

I'm asked to head over to the line once the assistant returns to his cabin. From this point on, things started to get interesting. A large crowd had gathered, but he asked those in front of me to address my problem first. I wait on the counter for a response or to be sent home empty-handed because I always did my best to be true to who I am as a person, to exhibit compassion, and to learn how to listen while keeping my mouth shut.

Golden words of the Ticket Assistant at the BART station, "Welcome to America, young man. Please use this free BART ticket to travel today, and remember to always show kindness to others.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “leaders are dealers in hope”. The role of a leader is to articulate a vision, and a destination, and then to encourage the actions that will be required to reach that goal. While you work through your feelings, thoughts, and emotions you never know who may be looking up to you. Therefore you should constantly perform to the best of your ability. With the aid of my friend Kunal, I was also able to obtain a clipper card later.

I'll offer to snap a photo of him the next time I speak to the assistant, so I may save it as a memento of San Francisco. I am grateful to Professor Cari Guittard for sharing her knowledge on how to develop your Hult DNA so that you can become an authentic leader.

My understanding of keeping integrity at work, being purpose-driven, and demonstrating servant leadership qualities have been enhanced by this story.

Some mantras from Jim Rohn can help us to overcome the challenges within ourselves, which is the first step towards self-awareness. They are-

• be strong, but not rude; 
• be kind, but not weak
• be bold, but do not bully
• be thoughtful, but not lazy
• be humble, but not timid
• be proud, but not arrogant
• have humour, but without folly

To know more about Bay Area Rapid Transit, click here.