On Your Own Time
What Vancouver’s quirky steam clock teaches us about performing with purpose
“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”
– Lily Tomlin
On Your Own Time
In Vancouver's historic Gastown stands an attention-getting landmark—the Gastown Steam Clock. Since 1977, this curious brass-piped clock is supposed to release steam and play chimes every 15 minutes. Daily, tourists gather—phones raised, expecting a punctual show. It is a clock, after all.
But the clock doesn't always play along.
The steam clock wasn't built to impress tourists. In the late 1970s, the city needed to cover an old steam grate venting warm air from underground heating systems. Clockmaker Raymond Saunders designed it as a clever cover. It was part art, part engineering, part neighborhood pride. Its purpose was function and charm—not necessarily entertainment.
Only later did it become a spectacle.
As tour buses arrived and cameras clicked, the clock gained a new role as performer. That's where things got messy. The clock’s gears are finicky, the steam sometimes weak, the chimes misaligned. The electronics keep accurate time, but the bells and whistles are notoriously erratic.
Impatient visitors check their phones, grumble, and drift away annoyed. The clock continues doing its thing—on its own terms. It tells time. Then, often just after the crowd leaves, it releases its whistles as if to say: "I don't perform on your schedule."
The steam clock isn’t meant to offer lessons in authentic coaching and leadership, but it does. Most of us start with great intentions—leading with passion and clarity. However, as attention grows, we shift. We worry about timing, optics, appearances. We cater to impatient crowds instead of our purpose, adjusting to please the masses and forgetting what matters.
Who are you performing for?
Social media followers instead of teammates? Strangers' opinions over family? Outside praise instead of internal fulfillment? Or for your team, your values, your future self?
The Steam Clock doesn't try to impress anyone or chase attention. It lets crowds gather—or not. It steams when it steams, plays its tune when ready. If you're there when it performs? Great. If not? It doesn't flinch. That's how purposeful leadership works.
Lead for the people who show up, not the ones who pass through. Don't rush the process to please people who won't stay. Serve those who stay. Stay steady for the ones who believe in what you're building—whether others are watching or not.
Don't perform for the tourists. Show up for your team. Your values. Your family. Your purpose.
Let the others walk away—you're not on their clock.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.”
– Winston Churchill
Connecting this quote to the story. Like the Gastown Steam Clock, leaders must stay focused on their purpose and timing, rather than getting distracted by every critic, complaint, or impatient voice along the way.
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: The wrong audience will distract you from the right mission.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2025