Leadership Lessons From a 7-Year Old

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]My 7-year old son, Logan, recently modeled leadership presence in a way that  blew me away.  Here’s a little backstory on Logan.  He’s a rough-and-tumble boy who loves sports, wrestling with his brother, and playing Legos with his buddies.  He also has an authentic appreciation and curiosity for anything “feminine.”  He loves beautiful things; he’s feels deeply and easily expresses it and is quite affectionate.His curiosity with the feminine has manifested in many ways, but most recently he’s fallen for “My Little Pony” toys.  Logan’s biggest desire (right now) is to own the My Little Pony Wedding Castle.  It’s pink and purple, with a grand staircase and comes with four ponies, including a bride.  His 10-year-old brother thinks this is “weird,” but tries to keep those feelings to himself (especially after a little talk with me). My husband and I, meanwhile, try to allow Logan the freedom to explore his curiosity within the safety of our home.Then, last week he came home with the week’s topic for sharing, an exercise his elementary school offers.  The question was “What I would do if you had $100?”  He immediately said “I’m going to say that I would buy a My Little Pony Castle.” Knowing how first-grade boys tend to react, I anticipated Logan would likely get teased or at least get push back from his friends.  Being conscious to own my fears, I told Logan he had a choice.  He could say “My Little Pony Castle” or simply say “Castle.” The next day he delivered his written sharing plan to me and he had clearly made his choice.  The plan said, “If I had $100, I would buy a My Little Pony Castle.” I asked him to think about the potential reactions from his peers and what his response would be.  We didn’t discuss it any further, and I didn’t know what his plan was, but instead allowed him to navigate the experience for himself.I tried to act cool when he arrived home from school that day and casually asked how sharing went.  He reported that during his presentation, a few boys immediately yelled out, “That’s a girl toy!”  Logan continued with the rest of his sharing without getting rattled.  After the sharing, they have an opportunity to take questions or compliments.  He only called on his friends who were girls. Then, when he was back at his desk, two boys walked up to him and said, “That’s weird that you like girl toys.”  He held steady and responded, “There isn’t a difference between girl and boy toys, and I like it.”  With that the boys walked away and that was the end of the discussion.As I look at it, Logan demonstrated several great leadership skills:

1. He made a conscious choice to speak his truth.
2. He anticipated pushback and planned his response.
3. He stayed centered in the midst of his presentation.
4. He elicited feedback from those who support him.
5. When confronted, he calmly and assertively responded with one powerful sentence.
6. After the fact, he acknowledged that hearing the feedback from his friends was hard.

That night, we had his favorite meal to celebrate his courage and before bed he said, “I’m proud of myself.” It goes without saying that I too am proud of the resilience and thought-leadership Logan demonstrated.  I (again) have been schooled by my children.  I’m happy to report that Logan saved enough money to buy himself his My Little Pony Wedding Castle and he LOVES it.  And I have to say, it’s kind of nice to have a touch of pink among the Legos and sports equipment that dominate my home.ExperimentThe next time you have a not-so-popular message to deliver (by your choice or others’), try some of Logan’s Presence-Boosting tools, such as anticipating the pushback and preparing a response that feels concise and true.  And for those meetings that go really poorly, try Logan’s Recovery Tools, such as gaining support from those who share a common vision. Also, get some nurturing from your loved ones; and last but not least, be sure to acknowledge yourself for the courage and energy it took to lead.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]