In honor of Father’s Day, I’m re-publishing this article in dedication to my dad, who sadly passed away in 2024. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it weren’t for the leadership skills I learned from him. He empowered me with skills that elevated me to new heights, some of which I didn’t realize I had until after his passing.

My dad served in the military for over 26 years and often led with an iron fist. Although strict, he taught me to take responsibility for my actions, ask the right questions, and think strategically when making decisions. As a single mom, I often played the role of mom and dad while raising my own son. I embraced the lessons I learned from my dad and passed them along to my son in a gentler, more “motherly” way.

Here are 10 lessons I learned from my dad:

1. Believe in yourself. Others won’t believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself first.
2. Take risks. Don’t be afraid to fail along the way to achieving your dreams. In the long run, your mistakes will help you more than an easy success.
3. Listen to discover big ideas. Always listen, since you never know where a good idea will come from.
4. Focus on finding the solution rather than the problem. Looking for solutions can help you get through tough situations and make solid decisions.
5. Always find something to do or someone to help. Don’t sit back idly waiting for work to come to you. There is always something to do or someone to help.
6. You don’t need an example. You can accomplish a lot by knowing what you stand for and believe in. Even if you don’t have access to a role model, you can still get up, do the work, treat people with integrity, and create something no one has seen before based on your personal values and beliefs.
7. Relationships matter more than revenue. There is no amount of personal success that can compensate for a failure in your personal relationships. Our relationships help us define who we are and why we do what we do.
8. Be kind and generous. The act of helping another is one of the most effective ways to improve self-confidence and compassion. Share your own time and talents generously.
9. Don’t take yourself too seriously. View the lighter side of life during hard times. Learn to laugh at yourself and your shortcomings; and appreciate the differences between yourself and others.
10. Never underestimate the potential of people (including you). The greatest thing you can ever do in your life is to help people find their potential and use it.

Being a father can often make men better leaders. I appreciate my dad for being a positive role model in my son’s life and modeling leadership skills and behaviors that have helped me to continue growing into the great leader he saw in me! Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there and the moms playing both roles! Be sure to thank your dad, or someone in your life who serves that role, for modeling leadership skills and behaviors.

Pictured below on the left is my dad (William/Bill) and me; and on the right are my brother Shawn, our dad, and me.