Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Son
Have you ever faced a time when you were afraid or just did not know which way to turn for the next step in a project? Have you ever been faced with a lack of courage to keep going? How about wondering how to survive and thrive in the face of uncertainty? I speak and write a lot about infusing leadership with courage and creativity. There is a creative resource that we sometimes overlook. It is right there in front of us and we can get so busy with the day to day responsibilities that we simply forget to look under our very noses. For those of us who are height challenged, we might have to look slightly upward, but I assure you that this creative leadership resource is not far away. If you have ever been in the presence of children you have encountered a wonderful resource for courage and creativity.
Two of my scariest and also proudest moments as a parent were receiving a call from my son’s kindergarten program that he had literally torn an eyelid on the playground and he would need stitches in the corner of his eye. My husband and I raced from opposite ends of the State to get to him and he took the whole frightening incident with such bravery and courage that even the hospital staff mentioned how amazed they were. When the doctors had finished, he looked like he had been in a prize fight. The next day, my husband and I told our son’s Taikwondo Master about the incident and he called our son to the front of the class and had a discussion about how to be brave even when you are afraid of the unknown. The Master presented our son with a special badge of a tiger and a dragon as a reminder of how brave he can be when he might feel afraid. The other scary and proud moment was when our son was testing for his Junior Black Belt. The test was the hardest physically that he had taken. He did a great job and then came the moment to break the boards at the end. Our son gave it his best shot and connected with the board and it didn’t break. The Master sent him back to try again and also coached him to reach inside and find the confidence he knew was there. I watched my son with tears starting down my own face as he pulled himself up as tall as he could and you could see the sheer determination on his face as he ran at the board and in one swift move, broke the board.
Every time I myself am faced with uncertainty, I think of those two moments that my son faced so bravely and I am able to do what needs to be done for myself. Our children are truly role models in so many ways. We should tap into that leadership resource as often as possible. There is courage and creativity in everything they do.
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