If you're not a parent or grandparent of a small child you can still appreciate the joy of being around their world of uncontaminated wonder. My grandson, while only 19 months old, is a "keeper". My wife and I had the joy of keeping him for an extended period of time this past week and to say that he is full of vim, vigor and vitality is an understatement! That boy runs on full throttle from the time he wakes up (except for his afternoon nap) and when he collapses in bed at night. He wears me out just watching him!

So what do little children and old Geezers like me have to do with leadership? It has to do with "neoteny". Neoteny from the Greek word, neos means "fresh, new or youthful." In Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas' book, "Geeks and Geezers" they said this about neoteny.

"Neoteny is the retention of all those wonderful qualities that we associate with youth; curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth and energy. Neoteny is a metaphor for the quality-the gift-that keeps the fortunate of whatever age focused on all the marvelous undiscovered things to come."

So when it comes to leading others, let me be more like my grandson and neotenic.  I don't want to ever lose the vim, vigor and vitality in experiencing new things and challenging the status quo with  a superfluity of "why's?" I want to be the antithesis of a stereotyped old man who is unwilling to change or dream of "what could be". Let me be described as one who is always looking out the window with eyes of amazement like a child who can't wait to see what the possibilities of making dreams come true are.

May your leadership this year be characterized like a child who knows no limits! Leaders, like children, live in a world of limitless possibilities, full of curiosity, energy and confidence that the world is a place of wonder to be explored and grow in.

Maybe this is what the greatest leader who ever lived had in mind when he said "we must all become like a little child? Just wondering...

Have a great New Year!!

rb