What Leaders Could Learn From Kids

What Leaders Could Learn From Kids dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorI am constantly amazed at the wisdom that comes from the mouths of kids. Here are just a few things I have heard them say and seen them do that would be great examples for leaders to incorporate in their companies:

  • I had some little 2nd grade girls ask me one day, “Are you happy?”  I laughed and said, “Yes, I am!” To which they replied, “Then keep doing what you’re doing!” Then they said, “Do you know what we would have said if you said no?” I shook my head. “We would have said, Then change what you’re doing!” Wow. How deep is that???
  • Kids have an enthusiasm for learning. Many adults and leaders in particular have lost their love for learning. We need to be life-long students. There is ALWAYS something we can learn. Nobody knows it all, right? With the technology we have, there is always something we can improve upon because technology is constantly evolving…and if you snooze you lose. As a side note, if you need help with an IPad, ask a kid. I remember telling my granddaughter a few years ago how impressed I was with her knowledge of the IPad. She put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, I AM 5 years old!”  LOL.
  • Kids find things they love to do and go after it with reckless abandon. Have you ever seen kids going to recess? All you have to do is tell them it is time for recess and open the doors. They find ways to have fun. Why don’t adults do that? Why have they lost the ability to find great joy in their work? Perhaps it because too many people are doing jobs they hate. They are working just for the money…and that brings no lasting satisfaction or joy. Everyone needs to identify the thing that lights them up when they do it. A way to figure this out is to ask yourself: What would I do if I could do anything I wanted, but I had to do it for free? Do that thing and the rewards will follow.
  • I have noticed when one kid is hurting or crying, their classmates gather around them to console them. Wouldn’t it be great if adults had that type of compassion? Some do…but many are so caught up in their own world that they don’t even see the hurting people around them. We need to pay attention to those around us that are hurting. Some people are good at masking their hurt, but you can always see it in their eyes if you look closely. Encourage them…tomorrow it may be you that needs consoling.

My hope is that we learn from the kids in our lives. They have a lot to teach us if we are willing to humble ourselves and learn from them.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

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