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  • Everyday Leadership: Redefining Leadership in Lollipop Moments(current)

Drew Dudley believes every person has changed someone’s life not by doing something extraordinary but rather through the everyday simple actions of being a leader. These actions can be so small a person may not even recall it in his or her memory. Mr. Dudley presents this inspiring Ted Talk on everyday leadership.

Take 6 minutes to hear his story:

“We have made leadership something bigger than us.”

Drew Dudley is right. If we relate leadership to only changing the world, maybe we need to redefine it. Drew Dudley worries “sometimes we spend so much time celebrating amazing things that hardly anybody can do, that we’ve convinced ourselves those are the only things worth celebrating.” The truth is there are moments that occur every day that define you as a true leader. Awareness and intention to understand the power of our own light can help us recognize what Mr. Dudley calls “lollipop moments.” Those moments are what makes us leaders.

“A lollipop moment is a moment someone said something and did something that made your life fundamentally better.”

Take a moment to pause and reflect on this statement. Who has impacted your life by simply saying or doing something? How have you impacted others?

It’s possible we do not always realize the power of our own words and actions in everyday moments. One day, I remember I was leaving the soccer field. A mother approached me and asked if I remembered her. She looked very familiar and then I recalled working with the family in early intervention. This mother gave me an update on her child and thanked me for supporting them. She told me she often thinks of the impact I made on them by providing the foundation for her, her husband and grandparents to help her son continue to grow in his journey. Wow! I was speechless. I did not realize the power of my influence on this family.

These are moments we have all experienced and never realized it……..a lollipop moment. This mother just found an opportunity to thank me for it.

Drew Dudley challenges us to “redefine leadership about lollipop moments. How many we create? How many we acknowledge? How many of them we pay forward? How many we say thank you for?” I am accepting this challenge and will remain aware of the opportunities to create lollipop moments with families. I will acknowledge the power I hold as a leader. I will model characteristics of a great leader daily during my visits and when working with my team members. I will thank others when they say or do something that impacts change in my life.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. -Marianne Williamson

Please feel free to share your own lollipop moment when someone has impacted your life or thanked you for impacting their life.

What were your first thoughts after watching this video?

One comment for “Everyday Leadership: Redefining Leadership in Lollipop Moments

  • George Brechtefeld says:

    Truly great for such moment that made a person a true leader. Leaders are everywhere and we just need impact on someone’s live to be better leaders.

    Reply

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