Leadership Advice from a 10 Year Old!

Kids have so much to teach us...if only we take the time to stop and listen. 

At home we often play this game called Compatability. It's a great game, both my wife and I use to help explore and discuss a range of topics with our kids.

Each player has a set of cards which contain a word or picture. At the start of each round we're given a theme and you then need to choose a certain number of cards which 'reflect' the chosen theme. When everyone's ready, you reveal your cards one by one and for every card you have chosen which is the same as your partner you receive points.

A really simple game, however as you can imagine one which provides my wife and I with great insights into how our kids see the world!

So on this particular day the topic was Leadership. My wife and I giggled with delight chosing our cards, excited to see what our kids would come up with. I've gotta say I was blown away by what we saw.

Our 10 year old chose her cards and laid them out, excited to reveal and explain her cards she went first. There I sat thinking this 'Will be a great opportunity for me to share my experience and wisdom, and teach my daughter some important life lessons on leadership.'

OHHH how smug and wrong was I?

They say when the student is ready the teacher will come...well my teacher arrived alright and it was in the form of my 10 Year Old!

So here goes!

Her first card: Help

My jaw hit the ground. "So why did you choose 'Help'?"

"A leaders main job is to help other people. Their job is not for themselves. They should be there to help everyone else and make sure they're okay."

My wife and I look at each other and smile.

Second Card: Trust

"What's important about Trust?" I ask.

"Well if you're a leader people have to be able to trust you and you need to be able to trust the people you're leading."

"Ummm. Okay."

Third Card: A Picture of a Lion.

"And a Lion?" I ask.

"Well a Lion is strong and courageous. When you're the leader you need to lead the whole pack and sometimes that means having to do things which you're scared of, but you know you have to do anyway."

By this stage my wife and I were laughing with delight! Wow...Talk about a Master Class in Leadership!

Really simple, however as leaders we can often get caught up in our own ego, fears, desires and to do lists it's easy to forget the simple things required of us to make a real difference.

So what can we take away from this Leadership Master Class by a 10 Year Old?

It's pretty simple really. As a leader SERVE YOUR TEAM. They don't work for you. YOU work for them. BUILD TRUST. Have your team's back. Do what you say you're going to do and be true to your word. TRUST YOUR TEAM. Believe in your staff and empower them to be the best they can. Step away, submit and allow them to be in charge. BE COURAGEOUS. Stand strong - deal and tackle the tough issues head on!

It's amazing how these Leadership Lessons from a 10 Year Old match into Funergizers 4 Key Principles of Engagement. If you're looking to find some easy and effective resources to help you create a positive team culture check out Funergizers Employee Engagement Programs.

Good luck team and enjoy!

Here's Some More Guiding Questions to Help You Out.

Help

• So how can you 'Help' Your team? Who can you serve?
• When can you encourage?
• Who needs your appreciation?
• Who can you support?
• Who needs to be empowered and challenged?
• When do you need to nuture, stand firm or submit?

Trust

• What behaviours are you demonstrating which may be eroding trust?
• Do you keep to your word or are you're promises easily broken?
• Do you connect with your team on a personal level?
• Do you stand up for right versus wrong?
• Do you treat everyone the same and show no favourtism?
• What are you proactively doing to nuture and build trust?
• Do you trust your staff explicately? If not why not?
• If you can't trust your staff is it because they can't trust you?

Courageous and Brave

• As a leader do you take the easy path or are you willing to walk a new path?
• Do you proactively deal with conflict within your team or ignore it and hope it goes away?
• Are you brave enough to reveal your vunerabilities and be authentic with how you feel?
• Are you courageous enough to admit your mistakes and take responsibility?