Leaders are committed

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 […]

Leaders have imagination

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 […]

Leaders have spirit

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 […]

Leaders listen

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 […]

Leaders Grow

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 […]

Leaders innovate

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 […]

The best test of leadership

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 […]

Beware the Age of Rudeness

“Ever since Jill started first grade, she’s become louder, messier, and not as kind as she was in kindergarten.  I think her first grade classroom must be the reason she is the way she is,” said Jill’s mother, Paula. Susan, a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher, smiled.  “Paula, I heard this every year.  What’s happening […]

Teaching children the 3 Rs (and it’s not what you think)

Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. These are the basic academic skills. There are also three R’s that are important to our leadership abilities: Respect, Responsibility and Resourcefulness. I would like to give credit to the person who initiated this phrase, but when I did a search for these 3R’s on the educational research data base (ERIC), I […]

Laziness: fact or fiction?

“Idleness, indifference, irresponsibility are healthy responses to absurd work.”—Frederick Herzberg “Marjorie is lazy.  That’s all.  You need to push her to get things done,” said Ms. Busch. We were in a parent/teacher conference and I felt uncomfortable with the word “lazy” as a descriptor for five-year-old Marjorie.  Lazy seemed derogatory. Marjorie’s teacher, Ms. Busch, had […]