“I think I need to remove one of my girls from our estate plan,” she said.
“She is out of control and has now revoked all of our access to her therapist,” my client continued, trying not to cry. “She is 18 now and has that right, but we have been trying to get her the help she needs.”
“I don’t know what happened. She was always such a happy kid.”
I simply listened.
Then, when she was ready, I went over what could be done and her options.
And I was there for her as she wept, describing what was going on. Raw with emotion as we talked, these new developments were obviously painful for her.
She just needed someone else to talk to. Another ear. Another voice.
That was Wednesday.
On Thursday, Pete, another client, called in and let me know that things were going well for him. He had been working hard and staying busy.
Bonuses were good, so he would be sending in more money to invest.
“What should we do with it?” he asked. “I know I have that line of credit with your guys now. Should we pay that down?”
“Yes, we should,” I replied. “You can’t borrow your way out of debt. The timing now is good.”
With that out of the way, we spoke about the world. The market. Life and how things were going for him. He was living part-time in Australia and part-time in Palm Springs.
He then said, “I’m always nervous around the markets and what we are doing. Then, I speak to you and feel so much better. It brings calm.”
Our job, in business and in life, is to lead.
We can lead by example, through our actions.
We can also lead by listening.
I read a great quote recently that said, “Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.”
That definitely holds true in my business. And that confidence, that leadership, comes in many different forms. Sometimes, it’s just listening, being there, being present.
There are different forms of leadership for different times, for different days even.
Wednesday may be different than Thursday may be different than Monday.
But, no matter what, I’ll keep finding a way to lead.
Because, deep down, I know that’s the best way I can take great care of my clients and those in my life.
-J.D.