It is funny, being a parent and raising four kids teaches you a lot of life lessons (imagine that) that can be applied to various situations, both personally and professionally. One of the things I have been working on lately with my children is the notion of continuing to try harder and you will eventually succeed.

I am reminded of a time when I was in kindergarten and the year end play was “The Little Engine that Could”. Back then, it just seemed like a fun story about a little engine that was trying to make it over the mountain top, but could not get any help from any of the passerby trains. So, to his (or maybe her, I am not sure what the “actual sexual orientation of the engine was and I am not even sure that it mattered) delight, he / she continued trying and finally made it over the mountain, hurray! What I now know is that fun and innocent little story has great meaning when applying it to life and especially in raising children.

In “The Pursuit of Happiness” there is a point where Will Smith tells his son never to let someone tell him that he cannot do something or accomplish something (my paraphrasing there, sorry if I did not get the quote exactly right). Little tidbits of advice and guidance like this go a long way in shaping the confidence of your children, it also teaches them that in order to achieve / obtain certain things that you have to work really hard at them. I know that it seems trivial and common sense, but it is amazing at how powerful these little lessons can be.

So the next time that you are feeling like you are ready to throw in the towel, remember back to your childhood and the story of The Little Train that Could and keep chugging away, you will eventually cross that mountaintop.

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday, for the first time in a long time, it was a multi day event (have not had one of those since my early 20s, yes I am that old). I had an impromptu birthday party Friday afternoon, went to a wedding on Friday evening and then a beer festival on Saturday. There were several “little things” that my wife, kids and others did for me that meant so much, even though they were “little things”.

It all started with a little birthday party when I got home early from work. Nothing extravagant, just my wife and kids, birthday cards, presents, a hand made sign and an ice cream cake. This was completely unexpected and meant so much to me, it was a bunch of little things that brought out so much emotion and pride, it made me feel extremely important. Later, we were off to a wedding where amidst of all of the commotion, the bride and groom took the time during the ceremony to tell me happy birthday and went as far as to have a birthday card for me on the table waiting for me. As if that was not enough, they had the band sing happy birthday to me. Saturday we were back at it, headed to a beer festival with friends that I had no idea we were going to. My wife coordinated the whole thing without me knowing, and I was so surprised and extremely happy. It was the little things that meant so much.

It amazes me at how something that seems so small can have such an impact on you at that moment, that in hindsight, those things were actually bigger than they first appeared. I am thankful for the wonderful weekend I had, and can say that the little things really surprised me, and I really enjoyed it. Little things can have the greatest of meanings, so pay attention and give thanks when they happen.

Even though I can sometimes come across as being one who enjoys being in the limelight (well perhaps that is a misconception on my own part about myself), I would actually prefer not to be front and center, getting any attention. I fashion myself a team player, I do not need to be the quarterback or the star receiver, I am content being part of the offensive line, getting the job done so the team can win (sorry for the football analogy, you tend to go with what you know). As a result of this mindset, I am quick to give credit to others when they do a good job, and even if I am responsible for something, I still like to look at it as a team effort, the credit really should go to the rest of the team.

There are others that are on the other end of the spectrum. They like to swoop in at the last minute, just as something is about to be finished and claim they were a critical part of the overall success. Bad move on so many levels, but I have seen it happen time and time again. Why are people that way? Why not roll up your sleeves and get dirty and be part of the team and make the magic happen? Don’t try to steal the thunder of those that have put in countless hours, sweat, and dedication to make something a success. If you are not going to be part of the team, then stand to the side when the credit is being doled out and let those that deserve it take it.

There have been several instances lately for me where I have been part of something, but I have not been the major contributing factor in it’s success. To those that have been the major forces behind it, I say THANK YOU. You know who you are and if it were not for you, we would not be on the brink of something truly remarkable. You have poured your heart and souls into this and for that I am thankful. For others, thank you for having the blind faith that something great was going to come of it, if it were not for you, it would still just be a thought. My success throughout my career has been the result of some amazing work by some amazing people. I have been privileged to work with such greatness.

Success breeds success and something as simple as giving due credit can go a long way in continuing that success. Many a great leader have recognized that in order to be truly successful, you need to ensure that your team is successful. This is a lesson that is easy to understand, but sometimes extremely difficult to implement.