What a Little Girl at the Spa Taught Me About Leadership
✏️ ON MY MIND
What a Little Girl at the Spa Taught Me About Leadership
The other day, my wife and I were enjoying a peaceful, relaxing morning at the spa when a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old, and her dad strolled in, filling the space with fresh energy.
The bubbles stopped, and her dad softly asked her to press the button to restart them.
She stretched as far as her little body could go, standing on her tiptoes, eyes determined.
After a few adorable tries, she finally hit the button, and the bubbles joyfully returned.
We all cheered with genuine excitement, which she clearly loved. Of course, she thought it was a game, so she pressed it again to turn them off, then on, then off again, giggling with pure delight each time.
Her laughter was infectious, and we couldn’t help but smile.
In a calm and playful tone, her dad encouraged her to press it one last time, then leave it be.
She did, and when he praised her with a kind "Well done," her face lit up with pure pride.
It got me thinking—there are a few key lessons here for leaders:
1. Persistence Pays Off
Like the little girl who kept trying to press the button despite the challenge, founders and leaders must persist through difficulties.
Success often requires pushing through, even when obstacles seem just out of reach.
2. Don’t Forget to Have Fun
The little girl turned a task into a fun game, reminding us to enjoy the process.
Whether building a startup or managing a team, finding joy in the journey keeps you energised and creative.
3. Affirmation is Powerful
Simple words of encouragement can light someone up and drive motivation.
4. Encouragement Leads to Growth
Guide your team through challenges. Don’t just solve the problem for them.
5. Foster a Culture of Growth and Learning
Build an environment where making mistakes is not only allowed but encouraged, as this will drive long-term growth and development.
What’s a leadership lesson you’ve learned from an everyday moment? Hit reply or drop a comment. I’d love to hear about it.
-Anf
(Drafted with the help of ChatGPT-4 Plus. Image by Dall-E)
👍 PUBLISHED + WORK IN PROGRESS
Last week I had the honour and pleasure of attending a full-day Our Kinds team strategy and alignment workshop in Footscray, Victoria.
It’s truly a gift for this fully remote team to be able to all gather in one place. We had folks from Perth, Sydney and Melb join the workshop. I still need to review my notes and recordings, so for now I just want to share how grateful I am for the opportunity to work with such passionate change makers.
I also stuck around in Melb the following day for some coffee meetups with new and old friends before flying back to Syd in the evening.
👍 3 THINGS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION
1/ Read: The end of privacy is just an unintended consequence of Mark Zuckerberg’s actions
I’ll admit that, yes, the Rayban Meta smart glasses look pretty cool. I even want a pair.
Then I saw this video about Harvard students turning Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses into a surveillance nightmare, which worried me.
Cam Wilson’s article looks at how these advances in tech combined with our collective past of publishing identifying information online has paved the way for identifying anyone instantly.
2/ Watch: £1Million Business Dashboard - Key Numbers to Track
3/ Listen: Is Life Coaching Legit?
Back in the 2010s, I invested heavily in studying NLP and became a certified master trainer. I offered coaching services soon after and received positive feedback, especially around supporting individuals through developing self-confidence and career transitions.
However, after one session triggered a client’s past trauma, I realised I was unqualified to handle deeper issues and recommended the client seek professional help. I was careful to not label myself a “life coach”.
Nowadays social media is flooded with life coaches, but many lack proper training and qualifications. The podcast explores the dangers of seeking untrained life coaches and emphasises the importance of evidence-based support.
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See you next week,
Anf Chansamooth
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