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Have you ever thought about the similarities between parenting and leading a team?
As a fresh empty nester stepping into new beginnings, I’ve been reflecting on the overlaps between parenting and team leadership. As my kids navigate their upcoming professional opportunities, so many thoughts go through my mind:
“I pray we raised them right.”
“I hope they listened to us.”
“I really hope they get a great boss – because a bad one truly sucks.”
“Did we prepare them enough for corporate life?”
Though we don’t manage teams the same way we raise children, the foundational principles surprisingly align.
Here’s how parenting mirrors leadership:
- Inclusion: Just as we ensure no child feels left out at home, effective leaders create workplaces where everyone feels valued and respected.
- Modeling Behaviors: Children learn by imitation, and so do team members. Leaders set the tone through their work ethic, integrity, and behavior.
- Patience: Both parenting and leadership require a long-term view, focusing on growth and development despite challenges and setbacks.
- Active Listening: Success in both roles comes not just from hearing, but truly understanding the needs and sentiments of others, catching what’s said and what’s left unsaid.
- Vision: Just as parents guide their children towards a hopeful future, leaders must sculpt a clear vision for their teams, even when opinions differ.
Parenting is the best job and hardest job you will ever have. Love, discipline, joy, and pain all coexist. Parents determine how that mixture takes shape.
Leadership is not to be taken lightly. Your team will inevitably discuss work at home – with friends, loved ones, even pets. And the tone of that conversation is SIGNIFICANTLY influenced by you as their leader – either because of how you lead, the environment you create, or by what you allow.
The question becomes – what tone do you want that conversation to reflect?
As we excel in these roles, we have a unique chance to refine these skills consistently, whether at home or in the office.
What did I miss? What other principles do you think parenting and leadership share?
