Being The Ringmaster
I’m thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends – Nacie Carmody
Do you remember the excitement and magical feeling of waiting for your birthday when you were a young child? For two weeks my daughter was in anticipation and planning her birthday celebration by discussing everything that would occur. She wanted a Circus birthday and talked about the games that would be played, prizes that would be won, food that would be served and the themed circus style fun. There was even a dunking booth and costumes in my daughter’s party idea.
When the day came, everything was just as she said, even though I was exhausted from just hearing about it. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to be exhausted with the actual planning, because the Ring Master of the party at my house is my lovely wife, Debbie, and she loves every moment of planning for celebratory events. Debbie gives it a 100% in every event she plans. She rises to the occasion, gets up early, stays up late and gives it her all to make a successful event. She is the Ringmaster of party planning.
The dictionary defines a Ringmaster as the person who introduces or leads the performers in a circus and keeps everyone busy in between performances. As the leader of my daughter’s party, Debbie ran the party with a sense of precision. Everyone had a role to play and everything was organized well in advance. The food arrived right on time, the photos were taken and the cake came on cue. The layout of the event allowed activities to be strategically placed around the garden so that everyone could have fun. With a well flowing party like this, everyone left with great memories and anticipation of what next year would hold.
Whether it’s a planning a party or running any business, the Ringmaster is important in all of our lives. What do I mean by this? Well, we all have a role to play in life and sometimes we are followers but in other areas we’re Ringmasters or leaders. In my family I’m the Ringmaster in business while Debbie is the Ringmaster of the house. We both know and appreciate each other’s strengths and excel when playing to them.
When I worked in the British Virgin Islands as captain of a luxury yacht, I was in charge of the crew, the guests and the ship and it was up to me to know when to sail, when to drop anchor, where to scuba dive and so on. I knew exactly what was expected of me and I was accountable for handling these duties exceptionally well. I was the Ringmaster of the yacht.
Ringmasters are important everywhere and we cannot live without them. They are our leaders in areas of excellence. We follow experts in their fields because they know what to do, when to do it and how to do it. When they don’t know, they certainly fake it well.
John Maxwell says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” The Ringmaster certainly knows how to lead and shows the way. When are you the Ringmaster? What is your area of expertise? Where do you excel and believe that you can lead others in a clear direction? If you do not have an idea that you’re clear on, then figure out what area do you want to become an expert in?
As you think of areas where you are a leader, think about the type of Ringmaster you are or will become. Napoleon Hill, author of the book Think and Grow Rich said, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Are you the Ringmaster of your life believing and achieving.
Happy Summer!!!
Ralph Harris
Editor