Someone Is Always Watching

“Persons are judged to be great because of the positive qualities they possess,
not because of the absence of faults” Unknown

You never know who is looking at you. One day I took my 12 year old daughter to my company for a quick visit. I left my office briefly to meet one of our team members and then came back to pick her up. The next day when I returned to my office I noticed that she had written something on my erase board. What she had written was qualities of a good leader. I was so proud of her and her insight on leadership I could not erase it.

Just in case you cannot read the words they state: Qualities of a Good Leader are… will for success, “know how”, love for everyone, interest in job and consumer, flexibility, strength, care, intelligence and patience. Some might question some of the qualities, but I was impressed with her thinking on the qualities she thought essential to a good leader.

The amazing thing is that at the age of 12 she could articulate the meaning of each one of the qualities. When I asked her how she had arrived at these qualities, she stated with a smile, “I saw them in you daddy.” It is really humbling to know that someone is always watching and listening to what you do and say. It places a lot of responsibility knowing that your example can either inspire or disappoint.

You can be a great leader at work and in the community, but your leadership should not stop there. What are your family and friends saying about you? What are they observing? How many leaders do you know or have heard about that do a great job as a leader in their company, but their home life has fallen apart? I have learned that leadership is who you are at home, work and in your community. Be careful, someone is watching you.