“Can you PULEEZE just vacuum the stairs?”
One of Briggs’ daily chores is to vacuum the dog hair off three sets of stairs in our home.
On this day, I just wanted the damn stairs vacuumed. I was getting on a call. Rachel was traveling, so there was extra to juggle. I hadn’t slept well and was trying to grab a bite to eat.
I didn’t want to debate why he needed to do chores, how the vacuum actually creates suction, or which attachment might work best for him.
Just do the thing, dammit. At that moment, I wanted him to be compliant.
Here’s the problem: Rachel and I are trying to raise creative, independent thinking kids. This demands us to foster curiosity.
But, curiosity comes at a cost.
As a leader, when you run with no margin, the patience and space for curiosity evaporates. You default to compliance.
It’s hard to champion curiosity and reap its clear benefits when stress demands compliance.
Soooo…how’s the margin in your life? 🤔