Do you ever scroll through social media and see something that makes you angry? For today’s blog I’m hear to share an example of why curiosity is a necessary leadership skill.
We’ve all been there right? Why did this video of the Toronto Maple Leafs alternate St. Patrick’s Day jersey make me angry? I will explain.
I saw the Leafs jersey, and immediately got defensive. Having lived in Ireland for 5 years, I know how upset Irish people get when American’s call St. Patrick’s Day St. Pat’s or even worse, St. Patty’s. See * for explanation below.
I was ready to hit the socials, proclaiming my anger, when I paused for a moment. Something about this jersey seemed familiar to me, and so I decided to do a bit more research.
Turns out, it honors a version of the Leafs franchise. They were called the Toronto St. Patrick’s (known as the St. Pat’s) which existed from 1919-1920 and 1921-1922. Learn more about them here: https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/team/history#:~:text=The%20franchise%20was%20founded%20in,Patricks.
Why am I now sharing this story on our blog, you ask? Because it seemed like an important reminder to us all. A reminder to take a breath, ask more questions, and if necessary, do a little research before we share our opinions on something.
We always teach our clients to “ask more questions, make less assumptions” and sometimes it can be harder to practice what we teach than I’d like to think. For me, it was an important reminder why curiosity is a necessary leadership skill.
What is something that you made an assumption about recently? How could you have asked more questions before forming (or sharing) your opinion?
*Brief educational side note: Patrick is derived from the Irish name Padraig (pronounced Porrig), and thus if you would like to shorten it, it would be Paddy, not Patty (which is short for Patricia).
