Blogs by Cynth'ya Lewis Reed
First "TODDLER" Advantage?
1/4/2014 11:15:32 AM
Regardless of our stage in this earth life, if we all have to crawl before we walk, who among us can judge by determining who gets the most lumps on one's head?
FIRST MOVER ADVANTAGE FROM A TODDLER P.O.V. by Cynth'ya Lewis Reed
Back in the day when we were brand new parents, my husband and I recall our first born trials and errors with outrageous fascination. And of course like most new parents we were hot to trot when it came to bragging about all of our baby girl's "FIRSTS." First words, first giggle, first full night of sleep...you follow? Well when it came to walking she must have loved being carried around by her parents a lot...and of course we did not complain.
However, what parents (us) did not realize because we were so green with parental experience is this one undisputed fact: TODDLERS ARE VERY SMART! They have this concept down-packed that business people can never fully master...You see, toddlers understand the power play of "FIRST CHILD ADVANTAGE. (Stay with me on this y'all, because no $1,000 high tech business conference will ever teach you the wisdom of a 1 year old first born child. So let's cut to the chase:
Walking for a toddler is not that much different than walking thru an idea, thru a new job, or thru researching for a solution. But by not walking, that means you've probably found someone who enables you to "avoid the pain of falling and failing." Stay with me on this.
So since we couldn't carry our child around for the rest of our lives, we did the best we could to encourage her to walk on OUR TIME FRAME, not hers. But until she was ready to walk, until she found a REASON to walk, she was perfectly content to continue crawling around on her hands and knees. We still believed in her ability to walk, but until she believed in HERSELF, the crawling continued.
Then came the one eye opening day when my best friend Cathy, who was our baby sitter, said to me when I came home from work to take my daughter home, "Cynth'ya! Hide behind the staircase." I asked why of course and she just said to trust her. So I hid behind the staircase. Our daughter was sitting on the dining room floor in my friend's apartment with 2 other toddlers. Cathy stood in the living room. And what she did next made my heart stand still! Cathy called my daughter's name and said "Come here Sweetie!" And the best part of my long work day getting up at o-dark thirty and coming home without seeing my daughter all day long, was watching her jump up, and toddle over to my friend. I got so excited that I jumped from behind the stairwell and cheered!
And when I did that, my baby girl sat back down on the floor, and looked at me as if to say "You didn't see me do that, did you?"
AHA! Now Mommie knew exactly what her little girl was capable of, and somehow from a business vantage point, my thoughts lead me to this analogy...maybe you'll get it, and maybe you won't, but here goes:
When my little girl decided she wanted to keep up with everyone else at the baby sitters, she chose when to make her move. Not Mommie mentor, but my independent baby girl. So, is there perhaps some honor for all who start walking after those who were surrounding her who showing her to walk away from her parents' presence? Because as her parents, were we NOT the ones who taught her "first walker advantage?"
See this is the case in point ladies and gents: Regardless of who starts a company, how long that company has been around, it all depends on whether we are determined to move when we see the advantage, or keep sitting on the floor watching others move around us.
Therefore, when we back off, stop being so "encouraging" all of the time, and allow people the space and time to grow on their own--which means rising and falling and rising again, (i.e. the Donald Trump story) when a person is ready to move forward, they will move with or without your permission. Same deal when people choose to stay on the bench. Nothing you can do will get them off of that bench until they believe that sitting on the bench will give them butt splinters.
So simply saying thing from my point of view: All we can be for people is the example they need to follow if we ourselves are walking the right path. Leaders, let's all become that "ever increasing in knowledge" mentor in such a way where people see that none of us is not perfect, and will never be perfect, and cheer them on even if they walk without them thinking that you are watching them.
That's how leaders are created. And we all have to crawl before we walk.
P.S. Here's a mental exercise:
1. Is it possible for an oak tree to return to the state of an acorn? Why? How do you see yourself, as an acorn being kicked around, or a mighty oak in progress?
2. If everyone has to crawl before they walk, who determines who gets the most lumps on the head from falling down? Where is the disadvantage if everyone keeps moving together as a team in spite of other's discouragement?
Bottom line we all have talent, we all have ambition if it's brought out with the proper mentoring. Like the hand, 4 digits on the end of the human arm are not at a disadvantage because they are not created as a thumb.
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Cynth'ya Lewis Reed is a self published author, and a member of AuthorsDen since November 2002.
Visit her website at www.Authorsden.com/Cynthya
Follow her business blog at www.BetterThanDonuts.com
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