To serve and protect. Sgt. Jon-Erik Negron of the Suffolk County (NY) Police Department takes this responsibility seriously. On Saturday morning November 26, 2002, Officer Negron and three fellow officers were called to the home of Rebecca Reyes who had gone into labor three weeks early.
Officer Negron told reporters, “As soon as he said she’s starting to push, I said, ‘This sounds like something I’ve heard before.” This is because the man known as “the Baby Whisperer” had delivered four babies previously. Officer Negron delivered his first baby in 2017. According to this article and the video above, that baby was born with its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck and not breathing. Officer Negron removed the cord and also sucked fluid out of the baby’s throat with a turkey baster. Today he is the child’s Godfather.
He said of his initial experience, “People told me I went white after the first time I delivered a baby. We just sat around the house for a minute, and just kind of regrouped our thoughts.”
By now, Officer Negron was a seasoned veteran at baby deliveries. In fact, he basically supervised this particular process. He said, “I took the approach just like a coach in this situation. The first four (deliveries), I was there by myself doing it, like these guys were, so I said, ‘Let me supervise and do what I can.'”
Here’s the leadership lesson – You must earn the right to lead.
- The greatest hairstylist have cut thousands of hours of hair.
- Chess masters have played thousands of hours of chess.
- Great athletes have practiced and lifted weights for countless hours.
- The smartest people in your industry have made numerous mistakes, learned from them, and worked on their craft for countless hours.
- The greatest actors and actresses have spent thousands of hours in rehearsals.
- The greatest singers and musicians have spent thousands of hours in practice.
- The greatest chefs have spent thousands of hours in the kitchen.
And I could go on and on. In fact, Malcolm Gladwell would tell you everyone mentioned above have spent more than 10,000 hours honing their skills. The greatest leaders learned to love the journey more than the destination itself. They loved the process of personal growth more than its result.
Officer Negron could not oversee and coach his fellow officers through the birthing process without first doing four births himself. His previous successful experience gave him the credibility and right to lead.
Do you want to increase your credibility as a leader? Follow Officer Negron’s example and first develop a track record of success.
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