If you know anything about me, it may come at no surprise to you that my son is a list-maker. He makes a list of his chores, what he’s going to do after school, and last night, to whom he would send Valentine cards.
Of course, he chose to begin this project right before bedtime. Bruce and I had just returned from a nice dinner and all we wanted to do was put the kids down and continue our Valentine evening. Alone. I really just wanted to put my foot down and make him get up early to continue, but something in me said to sit with him.
Knowing this kid, he would not have relented until he finished all the cards, so I asked if I could help. He was about 4 names into the list of 21 classmates, so I offered to draw the hearts for him and he would address each one. A few names later he said,
“You’re right mom, this is much faster.”
“Yep,” I agreed, “This is like an assembly line… when you give different jobs to people to get the bigger job done faster. It’s also called delegating, because one person doesn’t have to do all the work, you can learn to delegate to people who do different things better.”
Wheels turn in his head. “Like you’re still doing it, but you have a helping hand,” he realized.
“Yes! Exactly.”
Then without skipping a beat, he said, “I like the way you draw your hearts and color them,” with a big smile, and continued writing.
Friends, this is what leadership looks like. Inviting people in to be a part of the bigger picture, then intentionally, and specifically affirming their work as they go. Somehow, he had picked up on that piece, and it blessed my heart so much. Not that I needed to be told my hearts were nice, but that it occurred to him to say it.
What can you do or say today that would make someone feel loved, invited in, and appreciated? It may go a longer way than hearts and flowers.
Love,
Jenn & Asher