I’ve been there myself. I’m the father of four adult children. There have been plenty of times in the past when it was one of my kids who was annoying others on a plane or in a restaurant or other public place. That makes me much more sympathetic toward the parents. Effective leaders have a servant’s heart which leads them to seek to understand their followers.
I had no control over the crying children. How often do we waste an incredible amount of emotion and energy on things that we can’t change? The wise leader knows where he or she can have an influence and focuses there.
I’m not helpless. Even though I had no control over the children on the plane, I did have noise-canceling headphones. (Thanks to my wife and kids for my birthday present!) While they don’t completely block (loud) external sounds, they soften them dramatically. Good leaders may choose not to attack a problem directly, but instead change the nature and impact of the problem.
So the next time you’re around a crying child, pause and reflect on your leadership.
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P.S. My very next plane flight after writing this blog was full of kids returning from Orlando, and we had a 2-hour diversion due to bad weather in Houston. God has a sense of humor; I just had lots of time for reflection.]]>
Mike
