LESSONS FROM MY FATHER

Today is the two year anniversary of my father's passing. Nary a day goes by when I don't think of him, but I believe more importantly I realize the impact he has left on me, on who I am and how I live my life. 

When we are younger, we tend to reject our parents, believing they are out of touch and with the arrogance that goes along with youth, think that we know everything. Yet with age comes reflection and we begin to realize how much our parents actually instilled in us.

So here are a few leadership lessons that I learned from my father, which I try to imbed in my life daily.

• Live with Integrity My father told us at a young age to always look at people in the eyes whilst talking to them and worry about their integrity if they could not hold your gaze. And if they were not trustworthy then don't waste time and energy on them. My father didn't care that with "bending the rules" he would have advanced further in his career. It is from him that I learned that you can always get another job, but never another reputation.

• Loyalty My father believed in loyalty. He was loyal to his family, friends and workplace. It might seem odd to say he was loyal to his family, but let me explain. With my father, I always knew that he 'had my back.' Not that this was an easy task when I was younger and  a bit wild.  Knowing that there was someone, who regardless of what happened, would always be there to catch me from falling into the abyss was somewhat liberating, because you could take chances without fear.

• Be Generous My father was a very generous man. Not just with gifts, but with his time and understanding. There were times when my parents didn't have that much money, but as children we were never aware of the struggles.  I never, ever, felt there was anything lacking. He loved his family. He was a 'homebody' of sorts, taking great joy in spending as much time as possible with us, doing things, or just hanging out. He definitely demonstrated his generosity of spirit throughout his life.

• Things will always work out My father was the eternal optimist. It would have been easy for him not to be, having fought in World War II, being a prisoner of war, and emigrating to Canada where even though he was a mechanical engineer, he had to start at the bottom and work his way up the ladder once again. He believed that what happened would eventually work out for the best for all concerned. Just like with me, many people thought he had a life of 'puppy dogs and rainbows' but that was far from the reality. However with his optimistic attitude no one would have ever known the struggles that he had faced

• Never Give Up My father didn't believe in quitting. He believed in making things work regardless of the obstacles put in his path. Even as he suffered from Parkinson's in the last few years of his life, and the disease become more deleterious, he dealt with each new handicap, and wouldn't let that keep him from living his life.

• Have Fun My father was a jokester. For example, every year, he was able to lure my mother into believing another one of his April Fool's jokes. It didn't matter that my mother had her radar up and was expecting his prank, he always got her. He had a wicked sense of humour and loved to laugh…that deep belly type laugh.

When I look at the list above, these are key tenets of effective leadership and is a way to ensure that you build a strong team. A true leader demonstrates integrity and loyalty; is generous of spirit; even in tough times is able to inspire the team to believe things will work out; never gives up; and remembers to have fun.

So thanks Dad for helping mold me into the person that I am today. I may not have realized all the gifts you gave me, but know that your legacy will long outlive you, in both me and your grandson.