Little kids, little problems ...

One of my most favorite stories to share about my family is about my grandmother. As a young woman, Hilda Sail escaped Nazi Germany with her family in 1938, just nine days before Kristallnacht - "the night of broken glass" - a night that marked a dark turning point for German Jews. They came to the US not knowing any English, and proceeded to create a magnificent life that gifted my grandma and her relatives deep wisdom, perspective and compassion.

My Grandma was a powerhouse - I'd call her often to get a dose of that German wisdom. Grandma would always meet my current situation in her thick German accent with one of her famous one-liners - I called them "Hilda-isms".

Once I got married, the "tips and tricks" became about family and kids. She'd say, "Allison ... when you have children remember - don't trouble trouble, until trouble troubles you". This is a famous line in the Wik house these days.

There's one Hilda-ism though that I have been thinking a lot about lately. "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems", she'd say. Now if you are reading this and thinking 'I don't have kids, this blog doesn't apply to me', KEEP READING. If you are a leader, then this applies to you too!

My son Charlie is five years old. Like Charlie, the day-to-day "problems" and worries seem to be getting bigger. Where we were once worrying about whether he'd ever start walking, we are now worried about his emotion-filled transition to Kindergarten. Where we once feared he'd never learn to jump higher than 2 inches, we now fear he has anxiety about writing his name. Bigger kid, bigger problems right?

I brought this "Hilda-ism" up during one of my recent coaching calls. After Carolyn laughed at my German impersonation of my Grandma, she then said "Well, Allie what if the saying was little kids, little opportunities. Big kids, big opportunities?" I was speechless on the other end of the phone, and within an instant I was reminded that as leaders we have the choice to rewire how we relate to an issue at any point in time. We can flip the script, and transform the results!

I can choose to take on new conversations with Charlie as opportunities, that will only get bigger as he gets bigger - opportunities for new dialogue at home, for new ways to potentially parent that are different from the way I was parented as a child, and new ways to explore a deeper level of compassion inside myself.

So whether you have young kids, old kids, no kids or are TBD on kids, I ask you this ... where in your life, at work or at home, are you currently relating to a situation as a PROBLEM? How can you choose to flip the script and take it on as an OPPORTUNITY? What is the golden opportunity here for you as a leader?

Courage always,