Lessons That Stick
I had to be around 5 or 6 years old, my job, each Saturday was to dust the furniture and empty the trash. I really hated dusting, but at the trash detail I was good. I could see it, grab it, and remove it. Not so much with the dust. At such an early age, I rarely, if ever, noticed dust on the furniture.
So, for the longest time, what I remembered most from those chores was that I just wanted to finish so I could go play. The quality of the job was not the goal. My mom, on the other hand, was always the patient one. She knew her role at that time in my life was not really about removing the questionable dust. She made it her job to teach me about the importance of quality work and doing an excellent job. She spent time explaining how to do the work. How to remove items and then dust, not dust around them.
Looking back, I see that she displayed such wisdom, insight, and unconditional love. She believed in me. She saw me as the person I would become and not as the person I was in the moment. I did not give her reliable results most Saturdays, but the lessons eventually did stick.
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence”.
~Sheryl Sandberg
Keep cultivating your greatness.
Jeff
