Image courtesy of Dinuraj K’s photostream
Last month, I shared the life lessons and leadership tips I learned from my mom. In honor of Father’s Day, it is time to review the life leadership lessons I learned from my dad.
Here are the top four life lessons my dad taught me:
1. Don’t Define Yourself by Your Work. If you ask my dad about himself he will talk about his family, his interests and his goals before he tells you he’s an accountant.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t be committed to your job. The point is, you are a person first and an employee or business owner second. By focusing first on the person, you are better able to let stresses of the job not impact your health and overall happiness.
2. Family First. My dad has worked more than one job my entire life. But he always made time to visit me at college, attend events and help whenever I needed it. Even as a grown adult, my dad will stop by to cut my grass or show up at a race I am running. He definitely exemplifies that a body and mind in motion, stays in motion.
Having this strong family-centric focus gives me a solid support system to use when things are not going well either professionally or personally. It also gives me a group of people to celebrate my successes.
3. The Details Matter. My dad is meticulously organized. You could call him today and make a lunch date for 2016, never discuss it again, and in 2016, he would show up for lunch. And, he does all of this without any technology. He is a paper and pencil planner. He also remembers/keeps track of things like what gift he gave a coworker for the past five years, the favorite desserts of team members and whether they have dogs or cats.
Paying attention to the details makes people feel valued and appreciated. This goes a long way in establishing solid working relationships.
4. The Grass Is Rarely Greener on the Other Side. For many years I thought my dad had the BEST jobs. He never complained about his office environment, coworkers or bosses. I thought he was so lucky. Little did I know, drama happens everywhere. My dad is very good at brushing off the small stuff and focusing on the good parts of his job.
By focusing on the good qualities, I have experienced greater job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction.
My dad is retiring from his full-time job this year. I am so lucky that he stays dedicated to his “job” of being a great dad.