The year is 2021 and I have a 4 year old in ballet. She was loving it when out of the blue she decided she hated it. 

Before the start of her final recital she began insisting there was no way she would perform. We dressed her up and assumed the sale, but as soon as we arrived at the studio with older siblings in tow, and with her grandparents in attendance, she decided she didn't want to perform.

I could sympathize with my daughter, but there was a part of me that was so disappointed in her that she would sit with us in the audience instead of perform with her classmates. I also knew that this would be a defining moment for her, that she would probably NEVER do ballet again if this event turned sour in her memory. 

We tried a lot of different ways to get on the stage. I even bribed her with a new lego set if she'd perform.

Alas, she show went on without her and she watched the entire thing from the audience.

But as the recital was ending, my foundational strength took command, my Strategic strength, to come up with SOMETHING that would make the best of the situation. I didn't have to force her on stage, but I saw a possibility that I had to seize.

Strategic searches all the ways that something can be done and then intuitively settles on the best one. 

I whispered to two of my older daughters, "I have an idea to get Rachel on the stage. I'll tell you about it when the recital ends, but we're going to linger here after it's done." My almost 11 year old didn't trust me. My 13 year old, agreed and my oldest daughter (almost 16) said, "Dad, you're whispering too loud!" 🤨🙄

The recital ended and I declared my strategy to everyone and said, "Why don't you girls go up and perform Rachel's dance after everyone leaves and perform it for Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and I. My 13 year old said, "If Rachel wants to! I will!" My 15 year old said, "I need to get home...." and whatever my 11 year old said wasn't too affirming. I asked Rachel if she wanted to do it and of course she said no. Jenny shrugged her shoulders, but I KNEW my strategy would work.

So I just leaned into my Positivity strength which helps me sell my ideas and kept hyping it up. Then as soon as most people left, I pulled the ballet teacher over to our group and enthusiastically gave her my idea.

As soon as she heard it, she said, "Oh I would love to do that." Suddenly all my girls' reservations melted away and they took off their shoes and went on stage. Rachel joined them, and then my two little boys.

The music went on. Rachel still didn't want to perform but she would do it with her older sister's help. We laughed as they performed and a bitter moment, turned into something very sweet. The ballet teacher, who is so good, felt like she had done something to make Rachel not want to perform. But this moment was a satisfying thing for her to watch.

Here's the two minute video of them performing. Jenny Baer was thrilled to see her four girls dancing together. The only one we were missing on stage was our oldest son who was on a school field trip to the local amusement park.

The cool thing about this was that 18 months later, after taking a year off of ballet, she came back to her mother and said, "I want to do ballet again." And boy does she love it. 

Enjoy their performance! 

When you use your strengths as a parent and in the business world, it works. You come away energized and excited for what you did. You see evidence that you have what it takes to be successful. 

Now imagine if every one of your employees knew how to bring their strengths into their family lives because you invested in them in the workplace.