Parents are Leaders, too

From Matthew Kelly's, Building Better Families

 

Nine qualities that great leaders work hard to develop.

1.  Great leaders are visionaries.

           ie  what is your vision for your family, which you need to know in order to          communicate it to your family.

2.  Great leaders are decisive

          ie. once your vision is established, it becomes a powerful organizing tool.          Your vision helps you to prioritize the things that matter

          Your vision becomes the commmon unchanging factor in your decision-making

     Is this going to help my child become the best version of themselves

 

3.  Great leaders lead by Example

         kids remember what you do rather than what you say

4.  Great leaders are trustworthy

        They have to trust your word - you are true to your word

5.  Great leaders are storytellers

        Children become the stories they read, listen or see.  what books will they read,   what movies, video games, magazines, internet, tv will help them to be the best version of themselves.

6.  Great leaders are collaborators

       parents need partners and collaborators, ie family, coaches, teachers, friends, neighbors.

       great leaders know that they cannot do everything on their own

 

7.  Great leaders are persuasive

      the key to persuasion is convincing the other person that what you propose

      is in  his  or her best interest.

      the previous 6 qualities lay a good foundation for effective persuasion

 

8.  Great leaders make mistakes and know they don't have all the answers.

      If you are secure in who you are, you don't pretend you have all the answers

      "I don't know but let's find out"

 

9,  Great leaders persevere

      It is your job to give your children a vision and to persevere in that vision

 

Matthew Kelly goes on to say that parents need to be leaders, children need leadership and if you don't play the role somebody else will and there is a better than good chance that they will not have your child's best interests at heart in the way you do.  Men and women are not born leaders,  Leaders are forged one decision at a time.