Leadership Earth Day Clean Up

Some of the best ideas at work don’t always come from leadership. Sometimes, they start with someone who simply decides to take action.

When I was Marketing Manager at Avenza, I realized our team truly cared about our city and each other, but we rarely connected outside of daily work. That’s when I heard about Clean Toronto Together, the city’s annual spring cleanup for Earth Day. It seemed like a great opportunity.

So I took the initiative and made it happen from scratch, without anyone asking me to do it.

Turning an Idea into Action

There wasn’t a committee, a set budget, or anyone expecting me to take this on. I saw the opportunity, shared the idea with the team, and managed all the details myself:

• Sourcing supplies, I gathered bags, gloves, and everything the team needed to get started quickly.
• Coordinating lunch, since no one wants to pick up litter while hungry.
• Managing payment through finance, making sure everything was approved and reimbursed correctly.
• Rallying the team by getting everyone excited and signed up to participate.

What began as a simple idea is now an annual event. Every spring, Avenza joins Clean Toronto Together, helping a city-wide effort that has included over 1,000 cleanups and more than 70,000 participants in one year.

Why Initiatives Like This Matter

Team building doesn’t always mean ropes courses or fancy offsites. Sometimes, it’s just coworkers in gloves, cleaning up a park, and feeling good about what they’ve done.

This project gave the Avenza team a shared experience outside of work, built on community and purpose. It also let me show something I believe as a marketer and leader: you don’t always need permission to create something meaningful. You just have to notice the need and take action.

The Bigger Lesson

Leadership isn’t just a title. It’s about choosing to take responsibility for something important, even if no one is watching, and it’s not part of your job description.

The Avenza spring cleanup began because I noticed a gap and decided to address it. That’s the kind of initiative I bring to every role.