5 fatherhood lessons from dads who raised inspirational leaders

In honor of Father’s Day, Ladders has compiled fatherhood lessons from dads who have raised superstar athletes, bestselling authors, and executive powerhouses to inspire you to celebrate the dads in your life -— or simply become a better person yourself.

“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad,” goes the popular saying. Then it sure takes someone special to raise some of the most inspirational leaders in the world. From Michelle Obama to Stephanie McMahon, Satya Nadella to Mark Cuban, many highly successful leaders have been vocal about the long-lasting impact their fathers have had on their success. Behind their personal and professional achievements are traits that they modeled from their dads, words of wisdom that have been etched into their memory, and fatherly lessons they forever carry.

1. Live young

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Mark Cuban spoke highly of his father during a 2014 South by Southwest talk.

“My dad is 87. He’s going strong, he’s a machine,” Cuban said. “My dad says it over and over, ‘Today’s the youngest you’re ever going to be. You’ve got to live like it. You’ve got to live young every day.’ And that’s what I try to do.”

In a world where it sometimes seems that feeling old, tired, and busy is synonymous with adulthood, this is a refreshing perspective.

2. Work hard

Lawyer, former first lady, and bestselling author Michelle Obama was devastated by the death of her father, who passed away when he was only 55, in 1991. Despite the void his absence left in her life, she carries with her powerful lessons from him.

“Every day, without fail, I watched my father struggle on crutches to slowly make his way across our apartment, out the door to work, without complaint or self-pity or regret,” she said in a speech to Chicago high-school grads.

“He is the hole in my heart. His loss is my scar. But let me tell you something, his memory drives me forward every single day of my life. Every day, I work to make him proud.”

3. Be yourself

Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka recently made headlines for withdrawing from the French Open after she was fined $15,000 for refusing to speak to the media post-tournament to protect her mental health. She might still be a rising star, but it’s a move that positioned her as a leader willing to stand up for her beliefs.

Her decision to be open about her struggles with depression and anxiety was authentic — and she can thank her dad, who coached her when she was young and temporarily stepped in again in 2019, for the mindset of staying true to herself no matter what.

“He runs up to the bench talking about [being calm.] That’s it. He doesn’t give me any tactics,” Osaka said, adding that he kind of “lets her do her own thing.”

4. Always listen

Stephanie McMahon, chief brand officer at World Wrestling Entertainment, reports to her father, Vince McMahon, the CEO. And she’s picked up valuable business and life lessons from him.

“He grew up in a trailer park in Havelock, North Carolina; he purchased his father’s business in the early ’80s and transformed WWE from a regional wrestling promotion to a global multimedia company currently valued at over $6 billion,” she told Forbes.

“The best advice my father gave me was to always listen, since you never know where a good idea is going to come from. He also taught me to live life to the fullest; work, play, love and laugh as hard as you possibly can.”

5. Keep an open mind

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that his late father’s outlook, passion, and work ethic were critical to shaping his own views.

“Perhaps the most enduring of his life lessons was the need to keep an open mind and to keep curiosity alive throughout one’s life. He would say that if there is one thing history has taught us, it’s that doctrinaire thinking and dogma, in general, were what got people and societies into trouble,” he wrote in a LinkedIn article.

In 2021 more than ever, we need that kind of open-mindedness and critical thinking to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues, but it’s a timeless insight.

“I work and live in a very different context and time. And yet I am guided by the lessons he taught me by living his life to fulfill his passions and principles,” Nadella said.