Parents make the best leadership coaches for their children, yet many of us leave a significant part of our children’s training to the school.
Ancient wisdom tells us to prove all things and keep what is good. Those of us who are willing to investigate the situations and circumstances of their lives are usually rewarded with truth. But we find that many times the truth is strange and out of harmony with the “normal” way of thinking.
During our investigation, discovery is the easy part. The difficulty comes in deciding what to do with the revealed truth. Should we accept the new and different? Or stick with the status quo? The first choice takes us out of our comfort zone, stretching us into numerous possibilities, while the second option allows us to remain with the snug and cozy familiar.
You may be wondering what I am talking about and where this is leading. Well, the educational system followed in most schools today, which by the way, orchestrates the majority of our children’s future lives, seems to be contributing to their failure rather than success – with a few exceptions, of course.
We know that our children are intelligent. The evidences of that abound. They frequently demonstrate their brilliance every day at home, at church, and in our communities. They are curious, adventurous, and innovative. Is school the exception? Or is that kind of behavior unacceptable there?
Even those teachers, who perceive the occasional flash of brilliance in our children, send home reports that indicate poor performance academically, and many times, the inability to focus. Sometimes, they even portray our children as being highly distractible.
Any honest parent who takes the time to assess the success of our school systems in educating our children for life and leadership must admit that they fall far short of the target. The general focus seems to be on producing cookie-cutter “regurgitators” of facts and figures in an effort to yield high test scores, rather than fully equipped, balanced individuals ready and able to meet the challenges of the world in which they live.
Today’s visionaries tell us that now and in the future, innovation and creation of untapped new markets are the keys to business success and sustained growth in our global society. Who’s coaching our children to be innovative and creative? Not the schools.
True education produces learning. Learning, in turn, generates changes in behavior. When children are taught to memorize information then recall it to pass a test, very little real learning takes place. But can we blame the teachers? Not really. They are using the tools they were given in graduate school and most professional training and development programs.
As a matter of fact, the solution to this problem lies in the adoption of a whole new mindset – one that is based on teaching children from the platform of their strengths rather than grades. Do you remember when you told your friend that Johnny is always dissecting his toys, or Suzie must always be the leader among her little friends?
Parents, we’ve always observed our children’s strengths and aptitudes as they emerge. They fill our conversations. Many times the anecdotes provide humor in our discussions. But how many of us thought about coaching our children in developing those traits to leadership quality?
It’s time to wake up, be conscious of the little people placed in our charge, and take up the challenge of facilitating their journey to leadership excellence. Let’s begin coaching our children intentionally and with diligence.
Tell me what you think and how you feel. Leave me a comment below.