It’s just leadership - so easy even a child can do it!

In this episode, Chris and Brad unpack a rich and relatable analogy for what it truly means to lead people well - helping a child do a puzzle.

Through this picture, they explore the heart of relational leadership: coming alongside people, reading their needs in real time, and empowering them to succeed without doing the work for them.

Key Takeaways

• The Puzzle Metaphor - Leadership isn't about getting the puzzle done. It’s about helping the other person learn that they can do it. The goal is to build confidence and capability, not just complete the task.

• Coming Alongside, Not Standing Above - The posture matters. Like sitting beside a child doing a puzzle, relational leadership means being present, engaged, and on the same level.

• The Balance of Too Much vs. Too Little - Great leaders find the sweet spot between doing too much (robbing people of the win) and being too hands-off (leaving people to flounder). This is the real work.

• Letting People Own the Win - People may never realize how much you helped them, and that's a good thing. The goal is for them to say, "I did this!” and for our egos to truly celebrate them.

• The Learner becomes the Leader - Every leader was once the child doing the puzzle. And just like older siblings naturally pass on what they learned, leaders who were led well will lead others well in return.

• From Doing to Developing - The hardest transition in leadership is moving from being the best at the task to empowering others to do the task. We have to be really intentional about becoming great developers of people.

Now let’s put the pieces together. Join us for a walk and a great conversation!