I never really imagined that I could be a leader, until I found myself in a position to lead. I cannot say for sure where the capability to lead came from, but I would probably attribute it to my mother and father. They are both very opposite styles of leadership, but somehow that has taught me so much.
My mother did not get a fancy degree from college, but she is a very intelligent woman. She is very direct with what she wants, and yet kind at the same time. Do not mistake this to mean that she is overly soft spoken, however, as she is very capable of making herself heard. My mother is a prime example of working smarter, not harder, as she is capable of getting the attention of groups of people(Children and Adults alike) through subtle means.
I am always amazed at the brilliance of my mother, who perhaps gets it from her mother, as she serves in church, teaching the children about a variety of topics. Anyone who has spent any significant amount of time with children knows that it can be hard to capture and keep their attention for very long. My mother once was able to get the silent, focused attention of about 30 kids at once, just with a small, hand-cranked music box.
So it always is with my mother. She is able to catch the attention of crowds without seeming overbearing or pushy, but rather confident and well-equipped to lead. She gains the respect of people with what seems like no effort at all.
On the other hand, my father is the type that quietly works hard to make everything work. Also an intelligent individual, my father is always the type to be personally involved in sharing the workload. He puts himself into the projects he is a part of, investing his time and effort to make sure that the work he is part of is successful.
When something falls through in a plan, my father is the type to personally sacrifice his time to make sure that everything works out. If he is short staffed at work, he pulls long hours to make sure that the productivity does not suffer. He is respected, and manages to keep a friendship with those that he works with, without letting the respect for authority suffer.
Somehow, little bits of my parents rubbed off on me, and somehow it all works together, kind of like my parents, who are still together after years of marriage, and they still are a united front in leading our family. What I have learned from them has served me well in the positions I have held in life. I have learned to work hard, to plan, to be a friend–all of which have helped me get to where I am today.
