Been wrestling with this question. My kids are watching how I handle stress, failure, how I treat my wife, how I spend my time. That's real leadership not just telling them what to do. Its about being the man you want them to become. What's your take on this?
Leadership to me is just showing up consistently. Not missing the little moments with them. My kids don't care that I had a rough day at the office, they care that I'm present when we're eating dinner together.
This hits hard. I realized my 7yo was copying how I respond when I mess up at work. Started saying 'I'll do better next time' exactly like me, and that's when it clicked that leadership as a dad isn't about being perfect, it's about showing them how to handle when things go wrong.
You nailed it about failure. My kids have watched me fail at everything from DIY projects to job interviews. The leadership moment is always in how I talk about it afterwards. Do I blame others or do I own it?
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The way I see stress now is completely different since becoming a dad. I used to blow off steam by staying late at work, but now I can see how that stressed my kids out. Leadership meant changing that habit so they could see a calm version of their dad.