Oh, what challenges we have as parents trying to find the right fit for our parenting style. If we come down too strong on an issue, we think perhaps our need for control is bubbling over. If we ignore a problem or allow bad behavior to get its way, maybe we’ve given our power away. […]
Final installment in a 10-part series on Parents as leaders. As parents we lead and manage our children. If we lead without adequate management skills, logistical problems arise. If we manage without providing clear leadership, we may travel a long road to nowhere. Leadership focuses on developing people, empowerment, doing the right things, direction and […]
Part 9 of Maren Schmidt’s 10 part series on Parents as Leaders Effective leaders empower the whole person to do the whole job of self-leadership and management. Epictetus said it well over two thousand years ago, “No man is free who is not master of himself.” In order to help others help themselves, we have […]
Part 8 in a 10 part series on Parents as Leaders Peter Drucker, one of the greatest management minds of our time, wrote that with a few hundred years perspective, historians may view our time as one of “unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time–literally–substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have […]
Part 7 in the 10-part series on Parents as Leaders Being an effective leader requires immense imagination. As leaders we must envision the person who is not yet there; the situation that has not arrived; the community that is to be formed. As leaders we must imagine the human potential, and this is no small […]
Part 6 in a 10-part series on Parents as Leaders One definition of spirit is “a particular mood or emotional state characterized by vigor and animation.” As leaders we need to have enthusiasm for the work we are doing, the people we are working with, and the place where we work and play. As parent […]
Part 4 in a 10-Part Series on Parents as Leaders As we examine the leader in the mirror, we should see improvement and growth as we work to enlarge our sphere of influence by learning and practicing new skills based on principles that represent the people and causes we value most. To grow as a […]
Part 3 of a 10-part series on Parents as Leaders Research shows that it takes a minimum of 10,000 hours of focused practice to become a master musician, artist, dancer…parent or leader. One of the first steps in becoming a leader is realizing that proficiency requires a significant amount of time, commitment and dedication. How […]
Part 2 of a 10-part series on Parents as Leaders Making small adjustments in our lives in terms of vision, discipline, passion and conscience provide big payback on our leadership growth and abilities. Vision requires our mental skills of using imagination and curiosity. Discipline in turn uses our mind to control our physical challenges. Passion […]
Part 1 of a 10-part series on Parents as Leaders As we move forward into 2012 – a year for our presidential election – we will be deluged with daily details about various candidates for a variety of offices. Our minds may turn to the idea of leadership, or the lack of leadership, as the […]