As the prayer was said, we all collectively gasped. It was New Year’s Eve 2010 and my family gathered along with my grandmother to bring in 2011. We held hands as a family a few hours before midnight to quietly welcome 2011 with gratitude and without fanfare. But, this was no ordinary New Year’s Eve celebration since my grandmother reminded us all of an important leadership lesson.
Since we celebrate with the old African American tradition of having black-eyed peas, rice, stewed tomatoes, and cornbread, we set the table so that there would be plenty of food to pass around as we chatted about recent happenings and plans for the forthcoming year.
Typically, a family prayer at my grandparent’s home was reserved for the elders. It was something that was revered and was done by those with the appropriate education or the ministers in my family who had accrued “time in the pulpit.” Since my grandfather is deceased and there were no other elders present, my grandmother turned to my eldest male cousin, a peer, to say the family prayer. We were all stunned.
She paused before bowing her head with a gentle smile on her face. He was being asked to lead our family in prayer! Even more pivotal was that someone of my generation was being asked to lead our family in this way. Without question, my cousin asked us all to join hands and begin to share profound remarks in his prayer that were poised and eloquent. It was wonderful!
Later, my grandmother beamed with pride and responded to my cousin’s inquiry about why he was called on to lead the prayer. Without reservation, she said in a quiet voice, “Well, I knew you were old enough now.”
What a simple leadership lesson! It is always encouraging to me how much wisdom my grandmother can impart with just a few simple words. All without amazing techniques or colorful Powerpoint presentations.
It would be so vital for leaders everywhere if we could just take pause and make sure that we prepare ourselves accordingly to be ready to lead when we are called upon.
“You can show up in life any way you want. You just have to decide how you want to show up.” – Anonymous
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
I will pass this on to your grandmother to read 🙂
Sometimes the most profound lessons taught by the elders turn out to be the simplest ones that make the biggest impressions all without (as you say) amazing techniques or Powerpoint presentations.