6 Skills Young People Need To Become Next-Generation Leaders

Natalie Lucas appears to be the type of 18-year-old every parent would be proud to have.  She is gainfully employed, serving the last three years as a lifeguard.  Currently, Natalie works in that capacity at the YMCA in Longmont, Colorado.  She is also a good enough student to be starting college out-of-state at San Diego State University this fall.

But on the morning of July 24th an extraordinary event took place when Natalie playing a primary role in it.

On that morning, Matthew Jones and Tessa Rider arrived at the pool.  Tessa was nine-months pregnant and past her due date.  As told in this Good Morning America article, Tessa’s baby was pressing against a nerve in her hip causing pain and discomfort.  Being in water helped make the pain more manageable.

Rider suddenly got out of the pool and was experiencing obvious discomfort.  Lucas went to check on her and discovered that Rider’s water had broken.  9-1-1 was immediately called but the baby was about to be born.  Natalie and Matthew had to act quickly.  Paramedics were not going to arrive in time.  Tessa was about to give birth.

What Natalie did next teaches us six skills young people need to become next-generation leaders:

A Next-Generation Leader First Does His or Her Job

The first thing you can do to become a next-generation who influences others is simply do your job.  Produce.  Make a difference.  Sell something.  Invent a new product or strategy.  Complete a task.  Serve someone.  Have a great attitude.  Do your job.  Natalie said, “I feel like I just did my job and that I did what I was supposed to do in that situation.  I’m a lifeguard.  I was there to help and I was there to be a lifesaver in a sense.”

A Next-Generation Leader Is Constantly Aware

A next-generation leader must have self-awareness and situational-awareness.  They must be intuitive and know what is going on at all times.  Natalie was acutely aware of what was happening in her area of responsibility.  It was this awareness that allowed her to notice Rider was needing assistance and respond.  She said, “She had a noodle to try to relieve some tension from all that weight on the front of her, I’m assuming, and then she started crawling out of the pool … and I was like, alright, I need to go check to make sure everything’s OK there.”

A Next-Generation Leader Remains Calm During Crisis

High-stress situations do not make leaders, they reveal them.  Natalie said, “I knew I needed to stay calm and level-headed.  The couple was very calm about it all while it was all happening, which kind of surprised me.”

A Next-Generation Asks Great Questions

So many young leaders want to impress you with their knowledge.  This is often a mistake.  The best leaders, regardless of age, know wisdom is found in great questions, not great answers.  Natalie said, “So I made sure to keep my head on and stay with them, keep asking them questions, keep them focused on the baby and that they (were) the most comfortable.”

A Next-Generation Leader Takes Things Off People’s Plates

They relieve burdens and make things easier for others in the organization.  Natalie did practical things to assist Jones and Rider like retrieve medical supplies and towels.  But she also did much, much more.  Rider said, “I liken Natalie’s presence to like a doula or a midwife. … She was super focused on Tessa.  So in that moment, I did not have to worry about my wife.  I could direct the entirety of my focus onto Tobin and what Tobin needed to be safe and healthy.”

Rider continued, “Without Natalie there, I wouldn’t have been able to give my attention to Toby.  And I would say that that was everything in that moment.  Tessa wanted me focused on Toby but she still needed care and that’s what Natalie was there for.”

A Next-Generation Leader Delivers Results

Never confuse activity with accomplishment.  Ultimately, what would matter would be if the baby was safely delivered and mother and child would both be fine.  Natalie said, “I make sure Tessa is comfortable and trying to get her situated in the best position possible.  I’m like alright, this cement ground isn’t that great but let me prop her up, lean her head on the medical bag.  I give some towels to Matthew, the baby comes out quite fast, like less than five minutes, I would say.  It was pretty insane.”

She continued, “We were on the phone with the operator, making sure that the baby was breathing, that the chest was rising and falling. I had to get a towel to clean up the baby’s mouth to make sure the airway wasn’t obstructed and that he had a clear [airway for] breathing.  And then the paramedics came in about five minutes later after that.”

Conclusion

Natalie Lucas did her job, had great awareness, stayed calm, asked great questions, took things of Matthew Jones’s plate, and because of all of this, helped deliver a baby.

You may not have the responsibility of delivering a baby, but if you want to be a next-generation leader, this is the pattern you should follow as well.

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Brian Dodd

Brian Dodd is the author and content coordinator for Brian Dodd On Leadership. In addition to overseeing this site's content, Brian is Director of New Ministry Partnerships for INJOY Stewardship Solutions where he helps churches develop cultures of generosity. Brian has also authored the critically-acclaimed book The 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader.