The Toddler Way

Photo by Leo Rivas 

As practicing psychotherapists, we operate from a developmental perspective. We work from the understanding that we evolve throughout our entire lives. Yes, there are a bunch of milestones that we are all familiar with that mark childhood, but change continues through the lifespan. Ideally, we move through each stage embracing the joys and challenges as we learn lessons that bring wisdom to the subsequent stage.

Recently, G2 Solutions took some time to enjoy the sunshine and had a picnic lunch in a lovely little park. It was early afternoon and the first beautifully warm day after an icy patch of weather. The park was filled with a group of toddlers and their parents. We broke from our discussion about a leadership seminar we were developing to watch these little people frolic.

As we observed them we realized that these human puppies could teach us a thing or two. Since we were in a business state of mind, we started to think about what toddlers could show us about how to operate in the business world. So get ready to access your inner child and learn how you can become a better leader by rising to our Toddler Leadership Challenge.

They treat each day as a new adventure: Toddlers wake up each day ready to seek adventure. They don’t wake up with a glazed look and sigh and say, “Oh no, here we go again”. They boldly embrace the day and find joy in what is around them, even if it is routine. If you have ever been around a toddler you know that they want to read the same book, sing the same song or play the same game FOREVER!!  Where we may be struggling to summon up animated energy to play peek-a-boo for the 100th time, they squeal with delight.

Leadership Challenge: Re-energize every day. Maybe it is learning something new, looking at something from a fresh perspective or appreciating the opportunities that come your way during the day.

They don’t get stressed by mess: Toddlers are very comfortable with mess. They can have a messy face, they can exist in a messy room, heck they even enjoy creating the mess. Joyous laughter can be heard when a toddler knocks down a tower of blocks. They enjoy picking up those same blocks, creating a new tower and then wreaking havoc as they push it down again. They enjoy both the order of the tower as well as the chaos across the floor.

Leadership Challenge: Examine your comfort with mess. Do you run in and fix things or can you tolerate some disorder letting your teams sort out issues? Letting teams solve problems builds confidence and the capacity to innovate. 

They listen to their own drum: The fun part about watching toddlers play is that they each march to their own drummer. You see them creating their own little worlds. Sometimes they engage with others or they can be lost in their own imagination.They place a high priority on listening to their inner voice.

Leadership Challenge: Spend some time in your own inner world. Each morning, take a few deep breaths and spend time thinking about what you value and are grateful for before the demands of the day descend.  

They expect to fall down: Watching these toddlers, there was a lot of falling down and getting back up. They weren’t terribly bothered by their up and down existence. Since none of them had been walking very long, they had the expectation that this was part of their newly found upright mobility.

Leadership Challenge: Frame setbacks as a normal part of leadership. It infuses a calmer energy into your reaction. This enables your brain to be more effective and allows you to productively respond to your teams.

We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon observing these leadership lessons in pint sized packages. Hope you can find some inspiration from them as well!