Sharing, A Leadership Quality

As a T’ai Chi Chih teacher you may have not thought of yourself as a leader, but I think you are. You may argue with this premise and say, “Justin is a leader, Antonia is a leader, Sandy and Pam are leaders, but not I. I’m just a TCC teacher.” Of course the others are leaders and have a position of authority within our community. But let me define what I mean by leadership. It’s always personal, and the core of leadership is relationships. A leader does not necessarily have positional authority or a title. Think of a mentor in your life. One of my earliest mentors was my babysitter, Marge. I’ve known Marge for almost 50 years, and when I was 18 years old, I referred to her as my 55 year-old best friend. At 90 years old, she continues to be a cherished mentor and leader to me.

One of the things that leaders do best is sharing. They share wisdom and compassion, life’s lessons, their time and attention. They may be the one person who really listens to us. Sometimes that includes honest and difficult feedback when we need it, and at other times, it takes the form of gentle encouragement. Most importantly, I believe leaders share their hearts. Their sharing is done without ego because true leaders have humility; they live their life in gratitude.

I believe this level of leadership is rare. Yet, the spiritual essence of TCC naturally attracts teachers who exude these very qualities. As TCC teachers we are sharing this wonderful gift that our teacher shared with us. We give this gift to ourselves in the form of a daily practice, and then we share it with our students. We share our time, attention, honesty, and encouragement. We are filled with gratitude for this gift to share. Can you embrace yourself as a leader as well as a TCC teacher? In my mind you are all leaders. The world needs this leadership and our willingness to share the gift of TCC. As teachers we are planting seeds, and one seed can start a garden. Sharing is the key.