My 2-year old taught me the secret to running a successful business
Bowie, my youngest daughter is about to turn 2. Despite suffering from dyspraxia, she is undoubtedly the most joyous human I know.
Bowie’s joy Is deep, un-restrained and consistent. She smiles with her eyes and laughs from her belly. She loves to provoke a comedic moment and has a seemingly insatiable hunger for fun. All of this, in spite of a challenge that could severely limit her ability to feel this very emotion.
In layman’s terms, dyspraxia means that everyday tasks, like standing, feeding herself and talking, are a real struggle. She knows what she wants to say and do, her body just won’t let her.
Personality aside, there are two qualities I’ve observed which contribute to Bowie’s zeal for life: Resilience, and vulnerability.
Bowie’s motor control abilities mean that failure is both a constant threat and a regular reality. She tries, and fails often, and has some pretty nasty falls as a result. When she does fall however, she bounces back quickly. Rather than dwelling on her inabilities, once consoled, she’ll get right ‘back on the horse’ and take on whatever challenge she was attempting previously.
Conversely, she also knows her limits, and is willing to reach out when she doesn’t feel she can achieve something on her own. Walking is a skill we’re currently working on - sometimes she’s happy to hold my hand and take a dozen steps, other times, she’ll just turn in toward my leg and reach out her arms so that I’ll pick her up.
Like Bowie, most business owners I meet, have resilience down-pat. Some might even say, they’ve been conditioned to accept the graft - they’ve learnt to deal with the good months and the bad months, the dreams and the disappointments.
A less common characteristic however is, vulnerability. We hold our cards close to our chest, we promote the idea that all is well, and we trudge on with the view that we can do it on our own. Being honest with ourselves when we’re at the edge of our own knowledge and skillset, and inviting input from others is much more challenging.
The truth is, hard times are virtually guaranteed in this game of business. Resilience is essential. Even more critical however, is the ability to see our own limits, and ask for a hand-up when we’ve reached them.
Sometimes, we just need to be a little more like Bowie.