The Joy In Seeing The Joy Of Others

Muse this for a moment fellow human.

Can one experience joy from seeing the joy of others?

What’s that got to do with leadership?

Recently I embarked on a 4-day 2000km+ driving adventure with my father-in-law who is experiencing some serious health issues from which there is not going to be an upside. Lymphoma has had two goes at him and the second time around he’s fighting a losing battle.

Now, some of you will know that long-distance trips with said father-in-law have not always been the most joyous occasions, like the time on a family holiday when I was going to be sent

home from Belgium, or a boys' trip to Ireland and the UK where I looked to send myself home.

We seem to find a way to grind each other’s gears to the point where it impacts everyone else. Like two bulls going at it with little regard to what the collateral damage is.

So, why the 2000km+ trip?

I suggested that given his health situation this may be the last time he got to visit the area where he grew up, and it would allow him to see some sights and visit some people for the last time.

Was there trepidation? You bet there was, as it was a 6-7 hour road trip each way and apart from creating conversation, we had to navigate the shocking floods being experienced along the way.

Anyway, over the 2000+ kilometers we had some great conversations, I learned some amazing things about his early days, his first jobs as a teenager, where he lived as an infant, the sites he had a deep connection with, and how much this part of Australia meant to him.

One day we drove over 250km to have a beer at the Pooncarie Pub, saw a few of the native animals along the way, sat by the Darling River, and just took it all in. On another day we went to a tiny wheat belt town called Werrimull where, in the very early days of his life, his dad had been the local Doctor. We visited Colignan, where he ran a fruit orchard, and where I used to drive to pick up my wife Allison when we were first dating some 37 years ago.

What really struck me was the joy he took from the memories, the sites, the smells, the connections with old friends, and the experience. His joy very quickly became my joy.

Leadership is about many things, and a big one for me as I reflect on these four days was feeling joy through another human's joy. It was educational and uplifting. It felt really emotional at times.

Oh…..and it would be remiss of me not to let you know that the two bulls did raise their heads on the way home and there was silence for the last hour and a half due to a debate about a town called Tocumwal that we had traveled through on the way up. According to Bruce (said father-in-law), we didn’t go that way. I challenged him and got the silent treatment, but also took some joy in that some things don’t change.

Who’s joy are you taking some joy from right now?