Leadership
Leadership is kind of a funny word. Oxford describes it as “The action of leading a group of people or an organization.” Well, that doesn’t sound so hard right?
Except for the bit about leading (what is leading anyway?)…oh and finding a group of people that believes in you…oh and the bit about actually being able to lead them, having the time to do it, being able to speak so that those people will listen to you, and even getting people to realize that you could be a leader.
So, other than all that, I could be a leader, or you could be, right?
Exactly! From the moment your child is born, you’re a leader. Parents are leaders. Think about it, this is probably one of the only times in most of our lives that someone depends almost entirely on us…for everything. Our kids literally couldn’t survive without us (No pressure, right??). So if we’re leaders for our kiddos, why does it stop there?
Being a Young Parent Leader
Being a young parent provides an amazing opportunity to become a leader. Parenthood teaches people a lot about themselves and about others. Even though ‘leading’ a 3 year old kid in his day-to-day life might be a bit different from coaching a team or managing a department, I bet there’s more similarities than you think. I mean, those little eyes look up to you whenever they need guidance, and they probably will for most of your life. People always need guidance, but with kids, it’s especially important to provide guidance. Sometimes people think parenthood defines a parent, without realizing that every parent defines their own path of parenthood.
Especially when you’re a ‘young’ parent, people seem to think the doors to your future start closing. Some people think “young parent” and “successful” are totally incompatible things. Personally I look for every single opportunity to prove those people wrong. Hey, I may not be perfect, but I can sure be a decent dad and a successful guy. I refuse to let someone else label my parenthood is a limiting factor in my life. All other parts being equal, for some reason, when you’re a “young” parent, some people tend to forget about the good things parenthood does. Why is it when we see young parents, the “Congratulations!” go out the window, and in comes the questions:
“Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Will you be able to finish school?”
“Do you have enough money for to raise a child?”
I’m not even sure if people expect answers, they just love to point out that parenthood is going to be difficult. Thanks for the heads up random stranger on the street, I had no idea I looked “too young” to have a kid. Is it hard? Sure it is, but parenthood isn’t exactly easy, whether you’ve got a fresh high school diploma or you have a social security check in your hand. But, if everything in life was easy, how would we grow? How would we ever rise to the occasion? Being a young parent sure is hard, but it can also be an amazing step toward a life that we, as individuals and parents, can be proud of.
So really, being a young parent is an amazing way to become a leader. There is no single force in my life as strong as my son. Through him, I have grown stronger, learned and accomplished more, and reached new highs in my life. Stop worrying about all the doors people say get shut, and start looking for the open window. Think outside the box. I’ve had more opportunities to help people since becoming a father than I can count, and I’m very proud of what fatherhood has done for me. Looking into my son’s eyes, I have found motivation, responsibility, determination, confidence, inspiration, and so much more.
I dare you to ask someone about some traits leaders have.
And I bet you $5 they’ll say one of those traits.
-Cam
Stronger Generations Initiative 