Harnessing The Superpower of Children’s Curiosity

Four Powerful Leadership Lessons From A Conversation with Jack and Lucy

It's an exhilarating time in the Scaplen household as my 8-year-old son gears up for his inaugural baseball playoff run, while simultaneously diving into his hockey conditioning camp. Meanwhile, my 4-year-old daughter is vibrating with excitement for her upcoming debut in the game of hockey.

These moments, rich with anticipation and enthusiasm, prompt me to reflect on the wisdom I've gained from similar experiences. Moreover, the regular dialogues on leadership that I share with my Co-Founder and dear friend, Kurtis Graham, have allowed us to draw parallels between these lessons and our professional lives. In this light, I've decided to seize this moment, harnessing the superpower of my children's curiosity, and our ongoing conversations, to create an illuminating Q&A. I'm eager to open this dialogue to fellow leaders, as I believe these candid questions hold the potential for profoundly meaningful discussions.

Jack: If I make a mistake during the baseball game, do you think I will get benched during the playoffs?

Curtis: Without a doubt, no. My hope for you is to put your all into the game.  Try hard, enjoy it, take your swings.  You are going to win, and you are going to FAIL.  Mistakes are inevitable and are a big part of how we get better.  Mistakes will happen, yet how you react to them is what really matters.  I don’t want you to be thinking about making mistakes because you won’t be relaxed and at your best.  I want you to be thinking about having fun and making the plays.  Baseball is such a great example of this.  A hall of fame baseball player might only get a hit 3 times out of every 10 times at bat.  So, when a mistake happens (which they will) we will deal with it together and learn from it, deal? 

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." 

~ Winston Churchill

Jack: Do you care where I play hockey this year? Do you care if I make the top team?

Curtis: What I really care about is YOU.  That you're experiencing the joy of the game, making new friends, and pushing yourself to get better.  The question isn’t whether I care, it is really if you care? If your heart is set on making a certain team, I will help you get there and you will have to put in the work.  You aren’t going to love all the drills or every practice, but doing hard things and seeing yourself getting better is so worth it.  No matter where you end up playing, if you have this attitude it will be a great season.  

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." 

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Lucy: Is playing hockey going to be HARD?

Curtis:  Yes, it is going to be very hard, but FUN.  You can do hard things,  right!.  Everything that is worth it starts off being hard and you are a little superhero who isn’t afraid to try.   Remember how hard it was to learn to walk, or peddle your bike, or to hit a baseball.  We have to be willing to be bad at something before we can become good at it.  Skating is hard.  You are going to fall a lot and you are going to get frustrated sometimes…but it is so worth it, ask your brother.  You will also have your gear to help protect you and a lot of great coaches and teammates to help.  

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." 

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Lucy: Will you help me tie my skates and ensure my gear fits me?

Curtis:  Of course.  Our job is to make sure you have the right gear and make sure it fits properly.  Making sure you are safe and ready to go on time so you can enjoy yourself is my job.  Your job is to focus on trying your best, learning and having lots of fun along the way.  

"A leader's job is not to do the work for others, it's to help others figure out how to do it themselves." 

~ Simon Sinek

Closing Thoughts:  

“Mistakes are the proof that you are putting in the effort.” 

~Curtis Scaplen

On the surface, these questions seem so simple, yet their significance goes much deeper.  Our role as leaders, coaches and parents is to set up the environment for success.  When those within our care sense ease, safety, and confidence, their capacity for achievement knows no bounds. Conversely, an atmosphere steeped in anxiety, undue pressure, or lack of acknowledgment hinders the outcomes we aspire to attain.

I extend a challenge to us all:

Let's consider the environments we're fostering for our children, colleagues, and those in our lives. By doing so, we move towards collective growth and achievement, a legacy of empowerment we can all aspire to leave behind.