Was at my parents’ home the other night. Beautiful/decent/wise people… who I deeply appreciate. Whenever I go over, the fridge always seems to contain plastic containers full of pomegranate seeds. These little treasures are super healthy, fantastically tasty and overall pleasures that elevate life. I never really thought about where they came from. Just ate them.
This morning I was saying good morning to my Mom on the phone. Got onto the topic of pomegranate seeds because I’d dropped off a brilliant device I’ve discovered for getting the seeds out of the fruit without the achingly painstakingly complex process of doing it by hand (try it once and you’ll get what I mean). Mom: “I’ll try it but your Dad takes out all those seeds for me himself every night. He knows we love them. So quietly, he does this for us.”
As I write, I reflect on my father’s patience. And on the metaphor of pomegranate seeds. Much goes through my mind as I think about this. One thing is the power of patience. In a world gone hyperSpeed, patience is a stunning success behavior. My Dad’s patience in doing something kind+thoughtful+loving for his loved ones. The patience of an entrepreneur toiling in solitude, advancing a dream that nobody gets. The patience of a teacher developing young minds amid fewer resources. The patience of a leader, building an organization that delivers awesome value for the people it’s blessed to serve.
Not sure if I’m making my point clearly. I’ll reflect on it more over the days that come. But patience truly is a virtue. Of the finest of leaders. And the very best of Dad’s.
Keep Leading Without a Title.
