1 I’ve been thinking a lot about something an old mentor once told me: You’ll be surprised who leads in a crisis. Feels extra relevant right now, with nearly everyone and everything in crisis. Thread >>

2 This weekend I hit a break point of fatigue. I was cleaning up after dinner on a long Saturday of cleaning + sponsoring normalizing family activities for my kids, following a long week of work. I couldn’t suppress a huge groan of frustration and exhaustion looking at the mess.

3 The rest of the family was watching a movie and heard me. They looked at me and asked if I was ok. Normal empathy for normal times.

4 Except for our 8yo, who didn’t ask if I was ok. She got up, walked over, gave me a long hug, and just started pitching in and helping.

When our 10yo saw what was happening, she got up to help too. My husband paused the movie and suddenly everyone was pitching in.

5 It was a formative and instructive moment. I’d been feeling all this pressure to make things ok for my kids that might not be ok.

In that moment, the leader was the smallest person in our family, who *actually did make it ok for me*, for that moment.

6 Leaders don’t always look like we expect them to look. You may be leading in a way that inspires people even if you’re tired and overwhelmed.

If you like the way that someone is leading right now, especially if it’s not “their job,” tell them.