The other day I had the opportunity to spend a fun afternoon with the most adorable 12-month-old who is just starting to walk. It is fun to watch babies turn into toddlers and as adults we sometimes may push them to their next milestone. In this case, the milestone was taking more than 3 or 4 steps at a time. We knew the child could do it but was just being overly cautious. We decided to take the socks off, because although they had the skid-proof tracks on the bottom of the sock, they were just not providing enough support. The moment we took the socks off, this adorable child took off – running with his hands in the air, squealing with joy.
This got me thinking about any challenge we have in front of us as adults. Sometimes all we need to get to that next step (no pun intended), is just a little traction. Traction brings confidence to go to the next level. Traction to move forward can come from all types of avenues – education, observation, networking, receiving words of encouragement, taking risks, or raising your hand to lead a project or business. We all can use newfound confidence every day as we are constantly evolving and moving forward. No matter what level in your career you are, what part of life you are experiencing, do not be afraid to find your traction. That was all that cute little boy needed. What will be his next milestone and what will be yours?
Erin Henry – General Manager US