The Moment I Knew She Was Listening…Really Listening
I recently got back from an unforgettable trip to Alaska with my mom and daughter. We saw breathtaking landscapes, spotted bears and whales in the wild, and flew on a tiny plane that landed us on a glacier in the middle of nowhere.
But the most meaningful moment didn’t come from what we saw. It came from what we didn’t do.
You’ll see the photo below - one of the most powerful I’ve ever been in. It’s just the two of us, my daughter and me, standing side by side on the glacier, our backs to the camera, no words, no phones, no posing.
Just being.
What you can’t see is what led up to that photo. Seconds earlier, my daughter took the lead and instructed me to “stop talking, stop taking pictures, and just take it in.”
It was as if the world slowed down. We listened to the sound of the wind and the crunch of the ice. We felt the cold sting of the air, the vastness of the mountains, and the stillness that seemed to hum beneath everything. For once, we weren’t trying to document it. We weren’t trying to narrate it. We were living it.
And here’s what made it unforgettable: It wasn’t me who set the tone. It was her.
My teenage daughter, the one who’s usually glued to her phone, was the one who reminded me to be present. And it was in that quiet moment that I realized something powerful: She had taken in the lessons. Not just from what I’d said over the years, but from what I’d shown her. It was a manifestation of how I try to show up in life – by leading, reflecting, and staying grounded, especially when it matters most.
Leadership is modeled, not told.
It’s easy to think of leadership as what we say - the guidance we give, the pep talks, the strategies. But if you’ve ever had someone in your life watch you closely (a team member, a child, a peer), you know that people don’t remember most of what we tell them. They remember what we do and how we make them feel, especially when we don’t know what they’re watching. That’s where the real imprint is made.
Leadership happens in those in-between moments:
When you pause instead of reacting
When you put the phone down instead of multitasking
When you choose to be fully with someone instead of just around them
I’ve coached numerous high-achievers, and the pattern is clear. It’s not the loudest voice or the most perfect plan that leaves the biggest legacy. It’s presence, consistency, integrity, and how you consistently show up.
When you live with intention, your actions carry further. Your lessons stick deeper. And your leadership, whether you’re a parent, a manager, or a friend, becomes something people feel.
This week, I hope you find a moment to stop. To breathe. To be fully where your feet are. And to trust that someone’s watching—not for your words, but for your example.
