We’ve all been there—the moment when our next word, our body language, or our facial expression determines more than the outcome of that situation. It can determine the dynamics of the relationship for those involved.

This can be in your family life, like when my washer decided to walk off its pedestal and come crashing to the floor, or at work, like when one of my staff mistakenly made a change on a production server that brought down all the student devices, or simply personally, like when I just knocked a shelf off the wall during a business call and made a tremendous mess.

How we respond to ourselves and to others sets the tone for what happens once the mess is cleaned up.

When we give ourselves and others grace, when we respond with compassion instead of anger or surprise, when we proceed as if it was a mistake that can be fixed—we do far more than repair the problem. We set others, and ourselves, up to handle the next crisis, the next mistake, with more grace, compassion, and resolve.

In the moment, the last thing we want to think about is how our initial response will shape the outcome—but that is exactly what we need to do.

Over the last few days, I have seen this grace and compassion in my husband, my family, my friends, and students I mentor. When we model these attributes, they become contagious.

It never ceases to amaze me how, at the start of each school year, life teaches me this recurring lesson—GRACE.

I wrote about it last year, and in years past—Gotta Have Grace.

Because in the end, to lead well—we’ve gotta have grace.

Grace for others.
Grace for ourselves.
Grace to keep leading forward.