Good Parents Have Great Business Skills

This blog is about business. The goal is to discuss concepts, ideas, and behaviors for better managers and leaders. The lessons are taken from skills that can be developed and practiced in a family. Family life (committed marriage and multiple children) is the ideal situation for leadership growth and development.

Here are some interesting findings from the Center for Creative Leadership.

“Being a committed parent can improve a manager’s work performance,” said Ruderman, a research director at CCL. “Raising a family helps develop skills such as negotiating, compromising, conflict resolution and multitasking, which are important traits of successful managers.”

Graves added, “While many organizations have adopted family-friendly policies, most still operate under the assumption that a family focus will detract from performance. Our research suggests that this assumption is wrong. In fact, a family-focused manager may be, in fact, the leader your company should have.”

The study also found that marital and parental role commitment had more benefits than costs.

In 2019, Inc. Magazine published a number of quotes from successful business leaders. Here just a few to illustrate important business skills they learned in the home.

“Positive coaching is a skill that isn’t necessarily intuitive but can be developed. When you have an opportunity to coach an employee, answer one question first: How do you want them to feel afterward — motivated or disengaged? That one question can make the difference between loyalty and turnover.” — Ryan M. Akins, Regional President, Dale Carnegie

“Both in parenting and business I have learned — and continue to relearn — that people won’t always do as you say, but they will always do as you do. — Andrew McConnell, Founder and CEO, Rented.com

“With five children, I have learned how important manners are. Most business people don’t use good manners. Being with my kids and constantly drilling values and manners into them makes me realize how important these long-term habits are.” — Adam Dailey, CEO, FunLy Events

An article in Entrepreneur suggested these four ideas that come from parenthood.

1. Priorities — Parents learn to set priorities and use every minute
2. Focus — Parents learn to tune out the noise and get down to business
3. Patience — Parents learn to enjoy the journey as much as the destination
4. Selflessness — Parents learn to show interest and value someone else

Here is a list of skills that can be learned in the home. Isn’t this what we want in every employee, in every executive leader?

Time management, planning, prioritization, crisis management, problem solving, communication, persuasiveness, negotiation, project management, event management, people management, responsibility, financial management, creativity, and mentoring.

Most families have their struggles and many are broken. In spite of these realities, we will continue to benefit from and strength of families and the family’s ability to educate and improve the business leaders of tomorrow. I am committed to that idea and I believe that everything you need to know can be learned in the family.