Leaders Bear Their Burden Well.
Let me explain.
My mother Donna called my brother Barrett last week.
She shared the news that our Uncle Ed who is 84 will have open heart surgery this coming week.
The kicker?
He just told his children and siblings last week after knowing for 4 months.
Now for some backstory..
My Uncle Ed is the patriarch of our family.
High owl, secondary eagle and a man of very few words.
But he’s the guy when poop hits the fan and you need help for something important…
You call.
He’s been the backbone of our family for decades and someone Donna, Barrett and I admire.
Now you might be asking yourself why he chose to wait to disclose this information to his family for nearly ½ a year.
The answer..
He didn’t want to burden his family during the holidays.
It was apparent to him that there was nothing that could have been done aside from creating worry.
Stoic Leadership as its finest.
This also presents the dichotomy to leadership and why it’s difficult.
Most times, strong and proactive communication is the best strategy for your following.
Default to this.
However, there’s times that you need to bear the burden alone as a leader.
This is why it’s called “The burden of leadership”.
To my Uncle’s credit, he’s an incredible leader of himself and family.
Most of his leadership lessons have been caught and not taught.
This is yet another.
So please learn this value lesson from Barrett and my Uncle Ed..
As a leader you must bear your burden well.
PS Please send good vibes this week for a successful surgery.
