Becoming a Daddy!

"Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Daddy." – Unkown

I have this quote hanging on my refrigerator. It’s in a magnet frame and it holds up my daughter’s artwork. She’s 7. She’s special. I know all parents say that but when other people tell me that all the time I know for sure it’s true. What a gift she is.

Father’s Day is a special day for me because it gives me a chance to reflect on being a Daddy. I use this day to pause and give thanks for the blessing and opportunities to raise this little gift. It also gives me a chance to realize who taught me how to be a Dad. I think I’ve become pretty good at it especially in this past year. I’m now a single parent, after a divorce, and it’s prompted me to dig deep in order to face that challenge. So far, I think I’ve done okay. My little girl is doing pretty well and I have one person to thank for that more than any other. That would be my Dad.

That quote up above is true. It’s the same in business when we think about Managers and Leaders. You see when a person becomes a manager in a company they are generally promoted and appointed to that position. This is like becoming a Father. However, becoming a Leader takes more than a promotion. This is like becoming a Daddy. Being a Father doesn’t require much but being a Daddy does. It requires a good bit of emotional intelligence including self-awareness, confidence, courage, love, compassion, patience, and attendance.

I have the best Daddy. I once referred to my Dad as the "CEO of Dads". What I know about being a Daddy to my daughter I learned from him. I tear-up as I write this because I know that without his love I would have been lost for most of my life and certainly would be lost as a Dad myself.

Happy Father’s Day!