Those who know me are well aware of the many facets of my life. Whether I’m addressing areas of leadership, creativity, filmmaking, business, ministry or any other interest, I don’t beam nearly as much as I do when I watch my kids shine in those same areas. There’s something about watching them exceed what I’ve done that is exhilarating.

I first noticed that type of fatherly pride when my son was a drummer in a band that performed concerts globally including Russia and Brazil. I had played drums since the fourth grade and enjoyed being in symphonic, jazz, and marching bands. But, my touring was limited to performances during NFL halftime shows. To watch video clips of my son in Russia and see pictures of his concerts in Brazil was a thrill.

That same sense of pride in my kids was magnified when my youngest daughter started her own film production company. She combined efforts with another production company on three profitable feature documentaries that released theatrically. The documentaries I had shot over the years only released to television.

About a year ago, my oldest daughter bought a small business and rebranded it. She streamlined the business processes, reduced the expenses to operational costs only, and then sold the business last week for an exemplary profit. Her business acumen continues to amaze me.

Also last week, my son announced that his prototype for the new card game he designed arrived for play testing. His first introduction into game creation was for our family business. At age 12, he wrote some of the code and animation for an interactive roleplaying game sponsored by Tambrands.

Watching all three of my kids excel in areas that I’ve touched over the years is rewarding. While we’ve all struggled through many projects and ventures with some level of success, I’ve always thanked God for His blessings in my kids’ lives. I also take some of the credit, thinking that I must have done something right in raising creative leaders.

I can’t wait to see how my kids raise their kids with creative leadership abilities.

What do you do to instill creative leadership skills in your kids?