What My Five-Year-Old Taught Me About Leadership

The other day, I asked my five-year-old son the simple question:
“If you could give people one piece of advice, what would you tell them?”

Without skipping a beat, he looked up at me and said:
“Play. Friendship. Love.”

That was it. No explanation. No hesitation. Simply three words that landed like in my chest.

At first, I smiled and nodded, thinking, “How sweet.” But the more I let his answer sit with me, the more I realized something deeper: he wasn’t being cute - he was being wise.

Because somewhere between childhood and adulthood, between building careers and paying bills, we often forget the very things that make life rich and leadership impactful. We are all children! 

1. Play

As adults, we often associate play with something we outgrow. We call it “goofing off,” “wasting time,” or “unproductive.” But in truth, play is how we learn, how we innovate, how we connect.

Great leaders know how to play - not irresponsibly, but creatively. They know how to bring levity to a room, to take risks with curiosity, to build environments where exploration is celebrated.

To be playful is to invite joy into your work, flexibility into your thinking, and humanity into your leadership.

If we’ve stopped playing, we’ve stopped growing.

2. Friendship

In leadership, we hear a lot about networks and teams, but how often do we talk about friendship?

Friendship isn’t about transactions. It’s about trust. It’s about knowing that someone has your back not because it’s written in their job description, but because they care.

Children know how to make friends effortlessly. They’re inclusive, curious, and open-hearted. As adults, we tend to build walls - driven by competition, ego, or fear of vulnerability. But leadership isn't a solo sport. It's built on connection, collaboration, and care.

Want to be the better leader? Start by being the better friend.

3. Love

Love might feel like some soft word in a hard-edged world of leadership. But real leadership is rooted in love -love for people, for purpose, for progress.

Love shows up in the way we listen.
In the patience we offer when someone’s struggling.
In the belief we extend when someone doubts themselves.

Children give love freely and receive it without shame. They don’t analyze whether it’s deserved. They simply give it because it’s natural.

What if we led like that? With compassion, with courage, and with the kind of love that lifts others to become their best selves?

So no, we don’t need to be childish - irresponsible, naive, or self-centered.
We could be a little more childlike - curious, joyful, generous.

When my son said “Play. Friendship. Love,” he wasn’t giving leadership advice. He was giving a reminder. One that every leader - every adult - needs to hear:

Don’t forget what really matters.

Because in the end, it’s not the titles, the targets, or the trophies.
It’s how we played.
Who we did it with.
And how much love we gave along the way.

Let’s lead with that. Let’s go out there and play, be THE friend and LOVE!