Our Rock-Climbing Adventure: Lessons in Leadership & Courage

Last weekend, my husband, our boys, and I embarked on an indoor rock-climbing adventure. It was an eye-opener on multiple levels.

For starters, my boys got to witness their mom be the badass that she is. (Hello first person to make it to the very top and ring the victory bell! 💪)

I feel like I’m often the “bad cop” in our family, reminding the boys to take a bath or that it’s bedtime, so I enjoy finding ways to sprinkle some play and “fun-mom” into the mix!

But more importantly, we got to help our boys build their growth mindset, which is done by recognizing things like effort and determination rather than outcomes. 

When Kyen started, he only got halfway up a climb. But after a couple more tries, he made it all the way to the top and rang the victory bell with a proud toothy grin on his face.

Mav is our more cautious, tentative son and with him, I remembered that courage doesn’t always mean doing the thing or giving in to peer pressure. Courage can look like making the choice that feels right to us. 

So instead of pep-talking and trying to force him out of his comfort zone, I honored where he was at and gave him space to explore the climbs and his bravery on his own. (Not easy, since I’m a coach whose job is to help others realize their greatness by pushing them past their comfort zone.)

Of his own volition, right before we left, Mav climbed to the top and rang the victory bell. That meant more to him and the building of his courage than if I had pressured him the whole time. And in the long run, it helps him not depend on external validation or advice when making decisions later in his adult life.

I love to expose myself, my family, and the teams I work with to situations that get us out of our comfort zones and require us to embody traits like determination and courage. Courage is needed all the time as a high EQ leader, from having tough conversations to establishing a boundary when we are inclined to people-please to admitting we were wrong. 

What fun family or team-building activities do you have on the calendar this year?

Comment below and let me know as I am always looking for inspiration for my family and the teams I work with!

With love, adventure, and adrenaline,

Your coach,
💜Sara