As I have mentioned before, the Toad was born a wise old soul. He started having existential angst about his grown-up self and life trajectory when he was about 8. I have had the same conversation with more than one of our international students who have lived with us in the monumental life moment of being 16. Many, many years ago I remember pondering the same question.

With much more life experience I realize the important question is not what you will be but who do you want to be? What you do in your life will morph many times over. You might become world renowned for something you do but you will always be remembered for who you are. At your best, who you are is the gift your presence, kindness, attentiveness, and love are to someone – sometimes even a stranger.

At eight the Toad could confidently answer the question who he wanted to be – because he already was that person. He has many more years of maturing to discover his nuances and depth but as he grows to the edges of each comfort zone and transitions towards new development milestones, he can feel secure in the knowledge he knows who he is.

The leadership journey is much the same in my mind. There is always growth and pushing (or being pushed) outside of comfort zones but if you lead from who you want to be you are already well on your way.