Potty Training lessons

If you’ve ever been potty trained (and if you’re reading this, then I sure hope so), then you learnt a key leadership lesson.

I’m sure that your first attempts while being trained were probably messy. You were horrible in the beginning. You were constantly a work in progress, at least to your parents. But you stuck with it until lo and behold – the glorious day when you could use the toilet. No misses! No spills! Yay!

While you were learning, there was no judgment. Why? Because your parents understood that you would suck and then you would eventually get better. That you weren’t fundamentally flawed. And they stayed with you, helped you and trusted the process.

Yet as a leader, you probably judge everyone you meet based on their current skill level. Oh they don’t have what I’m looking for now, so they are of no value to me… I can’t help this person, they are so far behind… 

But here’s the secret. We’re all works in progress. 

Knowing this fact should humble you. You weren’t born at your current skill level. In anything. You had to learn along the way. People helped you to get better in your skills.

Which means, you can show this same non-judgment to others. You can allow them to get better. You can encourage their development. You can help them succeed.

We all need non-judgment to become the best teammates/leaders we can be.

Just like you had when you were being potty trained.