Halloween and Leadership

Written by: Leo Bottary, VP Vistage Inc. 

    It seems like yesterday but it was years ago. My daughter was four at the time. There was a Halloween party at the child care center and as usual I picked her up at the end of the day. When I arrived, I asked if she was ready to come home, and the woman at the desk said that the director wanted to see me first. I'm thinking, "This can't be good."

    The director came out with a big smile on her face and said she wanted to tell me a story. That day, a "witch" came to the center to "entertain" the kids at the Halloween party. Apparently, the witch looked a little too authentic for some of the preschoolers; when she arrived, many of the children got really scared and began to cry. The teachers were trying to reassure the class that everything was OK, but the children weren't buying it. The crying started to spread. It was at this moment that my daughter got up from being seated on the floor, walked up to the front of the room, put both arms above her head, and exclaimed to the class, "She's not real! There's no need to be afraid." My daughter provided the reassurance that the teachers could not.

    This isn't just a story about peer credibility; it's broader than that. It's a simple and powerful reminder that leadership isn't about power, position, or even age. It's about those moments in life when people need you to step up and do what has to be done. If a four-year old can do it, so can you. It may not be as scary as you think!  Happy Halloween!