In the beginning of 4^th grade my son, Gray, came to me and said that he wanted to get a leadership award that year. I said, “That’s great. What a wonderful goal for you to have. Do you know what a leader does?”

Gray said, “Yes, I need to do my best, help out and get along with other people.”

We talked a little more and then I said, “You know Gray, there are a lot of leaders out there that don’t ever get leadership awards. They do things because they want to get involved or something is meaningful to them. So, if someone else gets an award and you don’t, is that ok with you?”

In typical Gray fashion he replied. “Oh, I know that. It ‘s ok.”

I didn’t have an epiphany that day, but sometimes looking at life through the eyes of a child, you can see so much more. Leadership really isn’t about “winning”, it is about being willing to put yourself out there to make something happen. It is a chance to stand up, to get involved and to collaborate with other people to achieve a common goal. How many of us are willing to take on that kind of leadership role?

That makes me think of our own individual goals. What does it take to be a leader in our own lives? We talk about the things we want to do, but putting ourselves out there is not always that easy. What message can we take from a 4^th grader? How willing are you to take on a leadership role in your own life?