Good Leaders Make Good Kids

When I was finishing up “EntreLeadership” by Dave Ramsey last night, he made a good point

“I have a friend who owns a small company, and when he is hiring a potential leader he always has the potential hire and their spouse over for dinner. How that potential leader treats and interacts with his or her kids is a great indication of how they are going to lead. Unruly and rude kids misbehaving all over my friend’s house is a great indicator that they are really not a leader. Freaked-out over-disciplined little robots with no personality in them indicate he has a control freak or tyrant on this hands. If the kids confident, well0behaved, and comfortable with adults, it indicated he may have found a quality leader.”

As a father, I like to think I am a good leader not only professionally but also with my family. I think I have a good set of kids and they are cordial and polite. I mentioned in another post about feedback and behavior standards. This daily behavior-correction song and dance I have with my kids will help them become better members of society and with their peers.

I think of it as a lane-assist in cars. When they veer to far from one side or the other they get a correction. If they go too far over one side, its a LOUD correction. For example, my youngest likes to destroy or wreck the blocks my oldest builds. And I told my oldest if the younger keeps doing that then don’t play; just go and do something else. You might think that it’s not fair to the oldest when the younger one is the trouble causer but I will put the younger in time out or move him from the oldest and his blocks. But I can’t be a referee all day.

Likewise, when it is bed time we have a set routine – well kind of. It’s bath/shower (if needed), pajamas/jammies, teeth brushed, story/prayer time, and if they get all of that done, maybe TV. I hold the story time and TV time as the “treat” if they cooperate. It mostly works. They get dressed, cleaned up, ready for bed and we read a book. After the book we will play or watch some TV for an episode or less. But when the clock strikes 9p, it is bed time. Full stop.

It’s these things I do as a leader in my home to make sure my kids are respectful, yet playful. They know how to act in restaurants, other peoples homes, and generally out in public. They know when they are deviating from “the lane” and how to get put on course. It is because it is practiced daily. If one day you show up to be a parent and the next you are absent, guess what, they won’t do what you need them to when you need them to.