There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the controversial incident that occurred at the 2018 US Open final match between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. I’ve waited until some of the dust has settled to write this post, but I don’t want to allow a teachable moment to pass by without notice.
If you don’t follow tennis and are unaware of what happened, you can read the story here. My goal is not to retell the story, but to share my thoughts about what happened and how it could have been avoided.
The last thing someone wants to do after a crushing defeat is to grab a rag and a mop and start cleaning. But that’s exactly what the Japanese National Team did.
Have you ever had one of those moments when something that is commonplace to you seems amazing to someone else? There are all sorts of insights you can glean from interacting with strangers in the most unassuming of places.
I fear we have given the next generation a false idea of leadership. Schools reinforce students as “leaders” when they are the captain of a football team or when they are elected to Student Council. The oldest students in the school are considered leaders for the younger students in the school. The winners of school spelling bees and those chosen to represent the school at a district function are leaders.
If this is the model of leadership we show children, who would not want to be a leader? These are positions that are often in the limelight.
Are we doing a disservice to children and young adults when we do not teach them to count the cost of leadership? Have we sheltered children rather than prepared children to step into true leadership positions?
