I still remember the feel of the rough wooden twig in my hands that birthday morning.
We didn’t have much growing up, so my parents got creative with gifts.
One year, they made me a homemade slingshot.
I spent most of my childhood outdoors, chasing squirrels, feeding pigeons, catching spiders, so they thought it was perfect.
I remember feeling grateful for anything at all, and afraid to break the fragile wooden twig.
My father smiled.
“I made it sturdy for you. Let’s go outside. I’ll show you how to use it.”
We walked into the backyard, trees already marked for target practice.
He picked up a few small pebbles and said,
“What you have in your hand is both a toy and a weapon. Be careful where you aim.”
He opened his hand.
“Choose your pebble.”
I picked the biggest one.
He laughed.
“The smaller pebble travels farther. Bigger isn’t always better.”
Then he placed the pebble in the leather piece.
“What you need is friction, and this is in your hand. The further you stretch, the greater the distance and the more powerful the impact.”
“Now stretch the band.”
I hesitated.
“What if it breaks?”
He smiled again.
“Your mind is like this elastic. The more you stretch it, the farther it takes you.
The more powerful it becomes.
And when you let go, it returns to its resting state.”
I focused on my target.
I stretched the band.
I let go and relaxed.
The pebble hit the target at the far end of the yard.
I couldn’t believe the distance.
“Again!” I shouted.
Since that day, I’ve kept stretching my internal slingshot.
It has taken me farther than I ever imagined.
Leadership, like that slingshot, is about tension.
Stretching your comfort zone.
Building power through resistance.
And knowing when to release.
When I’m leading teams, I think of that moment.
How my father gave me tension without fear.
I try to do the same: challenge my people to stretch,
knowing they won’t break,
trusting we will make an impact.
What’s a simple lesson that still shapes how you think and lead today?
