When Erica was twelve-years old, she abruptly ended one of her childhood passions. It wasn’t because she no longer enjoyed playing the piano or wasn’t good at it. It was because of what her mom said. When Erica overheard her comment to a friend, “Both girls are great at piano, but Abby has a real knack for it,” she was so angered at the comparison to her sister that she never touched a piano again.
Her mom’s misstep isn’t unique. It tells us something fundamental about human nature. For a quarter century, I have been researching what it means to be an inspiring leader. But it was only when I became a father that I realized everything I knew about being a leader applies to being a parent.
