Three Minute Leadership: The Depth of Caring
To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning
A friend recently shared a YouTube video, Leaders Care. It’s message is simple and powerful – caring conquers fear. Caring can change the world. The following are the words from the video.
One evening my wife and I were reading in bed. Our five year old daughter appeared at the door. She was upset. “ Honey, what’s wrong?”, we asked. “I’m afraid.” She said. She explained that her two year old little brother was asleep on the couch and it was dark. She and her little brother were afraid of the dark. We tried to assure her it was okay. She left and didn’t say a word. We didn’t think too much about it and went back to our reading. Ten or fifteen minutes must have passed by. It was very quiet. My wife decided to check on our little girl to make sure she was okay. She couldn’t find her upstairs so she decided to check downstairs. As she came down the stairs she saw something she would never forget. On the coach in that dark little room were out two little children sound asleep. Our daughter was by her brother’s side laying over him. As she got closer she noticed our daughter had been crying. She had been protecting her little brother. She was able to overcome her fear because she cared more about him than what she was afraid of.
Being courageous doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid; it just means you care more about something else than what you fear. Leaders who care overcome their fears. Courageous leaders do what is right, not what is easiest. All because they care.
Leo Buscaglia wrote: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” In all that they do, great leaders exercise these beautiful and gentle “random acts of caring.” They instill self-worth, self-confidence and self-respect in those whom they serve. Doubts and fear vanish as they see and come to live the greatness that is theirs. In all that great leaders do, they remember the words of Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist :”Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!
- Danielle Andreani’s Second Group Mentoring Session – Group 1, Session 2
- Brian Mitchell’s Second Group Mentoring Session – Group 5, Session 2