People Who Shaped Me
by Leigh Rust
With every cloud, comes a silver lining. And the cloud we have all bared witness to this year (in Sydney at least) has been a myriad of lockdowns. Keeping our fingers crossed that we get back to some normalcy by Christmas!
However, the opportunity to spend more time at home with our families has been a blessing in disguise. Although a challenge on the business front, seeing my kids every day has been such a gift.
Life Values
Gratitude and love for family is a trait that was passed down to me from my mum. A trait that I am very thankful for. A resilient, loving, and humble warrior, my mother would do anything for us. There is no request too grand for her when it comes to family. Might be cheeky of me but for as long as I remember, if I asked for my favourite minted lamb racks for dinner – she’d be out to get ingredients.
My appreciation for all that I have, no matter how big or small comes from her. Learning by her example has served me well, setting me up for great love and success with the adoption of her family and life values.
But my mother's mother was my safe person. When I was in her company, I never felt pain or sadness. I was lucky enough that she lived with us, although we lost her quite early on. If there was any uneasiness at home, Nanna was the one I knew I could confide in. She suffered from Motor Neuron Disease, yet never let her personal battles stop her from bonding with us. Our special relationship highlighted the true importance of roots - those who love us unconditionally and care for us with no agenda.
My father and uncle were the two male figures who instilled the importance of hard work and determination in me from a young age. Eager to learn from them both, my father and uncle have been great influences in my business endeavours and have taught me invaluable lessons. Dad knew the importance of working for what you have rather than being given it on a silver platter. Each day, as a father and a business leader, I am thankful to have had them as an example.
Future Family
I never felt the same irrevocable love as my Nana's until I met my now-wife, Sara. With a warm and loving soul, she is both my biggest support and my best friend. She knows me better than anyone else and can ground me when shit hits the fan.
With her, I found a forever love and together, we have built a new family. A future I am so excited to be a part of; to nurture and cherish our children and grow together. Nearly 15 years since we met, Sara still teaches me new things; to be a better person and a better father.
Having children has been life-changing. Never in my life did I think that my own kids would be the ones that spark a change in me. As they grow and develop (and pick up on things we do) - it became vital for me to take a long, hard look at myself.
Kids have no filter. They say things how they are. And an event that stuck with me is when Izaiah, my son, told me he feared me - that I could come across as angry and abrupt. To know how he felt shattered me and has been something I do my best to not repeat.
Motivators of Change
I had to find the congruency between what I preach and how I act. Or in other words, I had to learn to walk the talk. With so much time spent at home in the past year and a half, I started to see how children are mirrors. After all, humans are products of our environments – kids don’t learn to swear on their own!
The first leadership role I had was as an older brother to Nathan. Without being aware, Nathan helped shape me as a protector during our childhood. Still to this day, he acts as a reminder to take responsibility for my actions.
But once again I find myself in a position of influence. Where I have the well-being and likelihood of many in my hands. As a business leader, it is vital to self-reflect and to be able to take on constructive criticism.
With these motivators of change, I have learnt to be aware of how I react and express myself – being more aware of the repercussions in both my own and others’ lives.
Concl.
Of course, there are many people and experiences which have contributed to the man I am today. However, my family have been the key people that I have learnt from. With change being one of the only certain things in life, I look forward to the journey of becoming an even better man, father, son, brother, and boss.