In the early hours on the morning of July 11th in the city of Lafayette, Indiana, Nick Bostic noticed a house on fire while driving through a neighborhood. As told in this article, he immediately stopped his car and ran into the burning home to alert anyone inside who may be in danger.
He found an 18-year-old woman babysitting her three younger siblings as well as a teenage friend of the family. The babysitter was able to get three of the children out but after hearing a faint voice, Bostic then searched the burning and smoke-filled home and located the remaining child, a 6-year-old girl name Kaylani.
A Heroic Rescue
Holding her in his arms, he broke out a second-floor window with his arm and jumped to the ground saving Kaylani’s life. He was then met by first-responders who treated him for injuries and smoke inhalation. Bostic was released from the hospital two days later.
A police body camera video of the rescue and medical treatment is shown below. After watching the riveting video below, I will then provide five subsequent lessons on heroic leadership.
As promised, the following are five lessons we learn about heroic leadership from Nick Bostic and the video above.
1. People Who Run Into Burning Buildings While Others Are Running out Are Heroes
It is in moments like this when we should all remember that our first responders do things very similar to this every single day. Their commitment to serve and level of bravery is indescribable. The men and women who make up our armed forces, police, correctional officers, fire and rescue, and medical personnel deserve our utmost respect, funding, and support.
2. Heroes Are People of Action, Not Just Words
Bostic could have easily called 9-1-1 as he headed to his destination and reported a house fire. Others may have stopped and watched. I may be wrong, but I feel this is what the average citizens would do if faced with a similar situation.
However, there was something innately grafted into Bostic’s character that when he came upon a burning house and the potential danger faced by those inside, his involvement required more than a phone call or being a bystander. He needed to personally get involved at a deeper level, a level which would cost him something. Bostic needed to take a risk and engage the issue immediately.
He told WLFI-TV, “I slammed on the brakes, I turned the steering wheel, I did a 180. I ran into the back of the house and I was yelling for anybody. Four faces, three or four faces, came out the top.”
3. Heroes Are More Concerned With the Safety of Others Than Their Own
Bostic cared more about those in need than himself while driving down the road. And he still cared more about those in need than himself afterwards. When Bostic and the young girl made it safely to the street, his first response was not about his injured arm or difficulty breathing due to smoke inhalation. He asked the first responders, “Is the baby OK? Please tell me the baby’s OK.” He was concerned about the baby.
4. Heroism Comes With a Significant Cost
People love the perks of leadership but so few are willing to pay the price. Bostic paid a significant physical price to help rescue those in the house. But as he told WLFI-TV, “It was all worth it. I kept reminding myself what a small sacrifice. This temporary pain…it’s so worth it.”
