Do You Want to Raise Children Who Will One Day Become Great Leaders?

Great teams and great companies are built by great leaders.

That's why Google spent significant time identifying the key behaviors of the best team managers, and this research allowed the company to determine in less than five minutes whether a person is a great leader. So how can you help your children learn to be leaders? For one thing, tell them that they can fail: research shows that giving too much encouragement can reduce the likelihood of success. For another, delay specialization: Research shows that those who "specialize" early in their careers have an edge in earnings after college, but those who "specialize" later make up for this advantage by finding jobs that better suit their skills and personality.

Most importantly, give them a chance to prove themselves.

In a 2019 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers assessed the leadership potential of more than 1,500 young people. They surveyed their peers, teachers and parents to assess whether each individual was seen as a good leader. They identified individuals who actively participated in leadership roles. They measured each individual's level of confidence and self-esteem in taking on leadership roles. And they asked young people to rate statements such as "My parents often stepped in to solve life's problems for me" and "Growing up, my parents supervised my every move". You can probably guess the result: Children with overprotective parents were perceived by others as having less leadership potential. And since how people perceive us often influences how we behave, they were less likely to be in leadership roles. Clearly there is a correlation. Research shows that people with overprotective parents have lower self-esteem and are less likely to seek leadership roles. But this effect is also causal. Other research shows that teams tend to choose charismatic, confident, outgoing people as leaders. People who are perceived as less confident and extroverted are also less likely to be selected for leadership roles, even if they succeed in those roles when given the chance or when they take it. Putting all this together, children with overprotective parents are less likely to seek leadership roles - their teachers and peers are less likely to choose them for leadership roles. This means that children whose parents are overly involved and protective are not learning how to be better leaders. Give your children a chance to prove themselves and give your employees a chance too.