The photo froze me. My daughter stepping out of a plane at 13,000 feet.
Months earlier, she’d asked if I would let her go skydiving. My answer was simple: “Just don’t tell me before you do it.”
She honored that.
When the photos came in, my parental reflex hit first. But right behind it came something clearer. She wasn’t being reckless- she was being decisive. She wanted this, she prepared for it, and when the moment came, she jumped.
I felt proud- not of the jump itself, but of her willingness to pursue something she genuinely wanted, and to follow through when the opportunity appeared.
Left photo: The climb to 13,000 feet, before the leap; Right photo: The moment she stepped into the sky.
Growth demands risk. And trust means letting capable people make decisions you wouldn’t make. The hardest part of leadership is resisting the instinct to take back control once they’re ready.
Leaders who hold on the tightest create teams that move the slowest.
The measure of a leader isn't how tightly you hold the rope, but how confidently you let it go.
PS. What’s one moment when you had to let go?
