Source: Norbert Reimer, Creative Commons
Danial Pink conducts a fun interview on his “irregular and irreverent newsletter”. A recent one was with Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Stanford University Dean of Freshmen. She has a new book coming out titled: How to Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.
As I looked at her list of things to do as a parent, I thought it made a great list of things to do as a leader. In a sense, that’s what leaders are doing as well, raising adults. Let me share with you her list of what to do as a good parent and alongside that list, what we should be doing as good leaders:
Teach kids/leaders to fend for themselves:
| Advice to Kids | Advice to Employees |
|---|---|
| wake themselves up | Be a self-starter |
| make a meal | Feed your own growth |
| keep track of their stuff | Be organized |
| do their own work | Don’t take credit for others work |
| meet deadlines | Meet deadlines |
| get places | Get around the organization |
| talk to others | Talk/listen to others |
| advocate for their needs | Advocate for their needs |
| bounce back from adversity | Bounce back from adversity |
Julie goes on to say “Here’s an easy four step method for teaching kids any skill:
- do it for them
- do it with them
- watch them do it
- then they do it completely independently.
Great advice for kids and future leaders.
Pick up the book, Trust Me and learn all the great steps for being great leaders and creating great leaders.