A Race

I watched my son win a cycling race today (see video), and I was an ecstatic and proud father, but not for the win. When he crossed that finish line I thought of everything he did to be competitive. I remembered all the times he struggled up the hills, and all the times I pressed him to persevere. I thought of his setbacks, and his tenacity. I thought about everything that led up to his achievement more than I thought about the moment. It wasn’t his win that I was most proud of – it was what he did to become the young man he is. The race was a moment, but it was years in the making. It makes me think about leadership in general. It’s not one victory, or one decision that defines leaders. It’s the character they build bit by bit in sacrifice, sweat and tears.