A lesson in character from a former bully

Chery Gegelman — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:33:52 +0000

As we began working on the Character-Based Leader book, I dug deep to see if I could identify what had originally ignited the passion I have for character-based leadership. As I reviewed years of memories, I continually found examples that that evidenced my passion for others, almost as if it had always been there. So I dug deeper, determined to find the root. When I found it, I realized that my vision for character-based leadership stems from a very self-centered decision I made in elementary school…

When I was in first grade there was a girl in my class with messy hair and old clothes who was noticeably “different” than everyone else.

One day during recess several of the other girls in the class, me included, were awful to her. We made fun of her so someone else could feel big, and we did it because we were afraid of being made fun of too. Even while we did it, I did not feel good.

When I found out later that she had a crippled sister who was in and out of hospitals and that for some reason both girls were being raised by their grandparents who were doing the very best they could to care for those girls, I was heartbroken. I had been not just a mean girl, I had not just caused a little pain, I had actually increased pain for someone that was already dealing with more than I could imagine.

That moment became a transformational lesson that increased my understanding and compassion for others. It gave me a reason to change my behavior.

…We became friends, spending time at each other’s homes, and together at school. For Christmas that year, those two sisters made me a snowman ornament out of gumdrops.

Today more than 30 years have passed, that gumdrop snowman is worn and not very attractive but it sits on my desk to remind me to look deeper and to SEE people for WHO they are, not just at how they appear.

How about you?

Are you passionate about character-based leadership?
Is there one particular event in your life that changed your view of the world?
How has that event impacted your leadership?

Please share your thoughts!

Prefer to hear Chery tell the story? Listen here.

Chery Gegelman is one of 21 author’s from 3 countries that connected virtually and discovered a shared passion that has resulted in a new book:

The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a leadership revolution… One person at a time.

This book encourages people everywhere to lead from WHO they are not WHERE they sit.

“Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” Stan Lee, Franklin D Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Voltaire

Simply Understanding by Giana ConsultingA lesson in character from a former bully – Simply Understanding by Giana Consulting

A lesson in character from a former bully