Is it Right to Ban Screaming Kids?
Last week, Jenny McCarthy posted an intriguing question in her blog. She’d just visited a restaurant in North Carolina who had placed a sign near the entrance. It simply read: “Screaming Children Will Not Be Tolerated.” Jenny’s question, of course, was: Is this discriminatory or brilliant? She went on to suggest that while she understands young children will experience outbursts from time-to-time,
The Youth Population is Doing “Swell”
I just read the numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. The population of kids worldwide from birth to college age is 2,987,230,232. In case this number represents too many digits for you -- that’s nearly three billion people. It’s about half of the world’s population. There is a worldwide swelling of young people. In China and India (the two largest
Now You See Them, Now You Don’t
Last month, I spoke to a CEO who just finished hiring a batch of twenty-somethings. When I asked what college they’d graduated from, he said he didn’t know, because he’d stopped hiring American graduates. He was going to India to find young talent because -- unlike Americans -- they are ready for the workplace. The American kids, he said, were
7 Principles for Developing Quality Leaders
This past weekend, I spent time with a handful of leaders who have joined The Cohort this year. The Cohort is a cluster of executive level leaders who meet with me monthly for one year in order to grow. These meetings are typically virtual (online), but over the weekend we meet face-to-face to kick-off the year. We had a grand
An Interview with Dr. John C. Maxwell
I am a privileged man. I began working under Dr. John C. Maxwell in 1983. I was just 23-years-old at the time. I was one of a few he took under his wing and mentored firsthand in leadership. I cannot tell you how much I have learned from this New York Times best-selling author. He modeled so many great leadership qualities
Jonathan’s Story (Part 2: Paving the Way)
Yesterday, I shared the amazing “rite of passage” year my son experienced when he was thirteen. What prepared Jonathan for that year, was a trip we took just prior to the experience. I let both of my kids choose a place they wanted to visit when they turned twelve. Each could pick anywhere in the world and travel with me
Jonathan’s Story (Part 1)
So is this male thing I’ve been writing about a lost cause? Of course not. Are boys destined to be slackers, lethargic and lazy? I don’t believe so. But we must cultivate them. We must help our boys become men. And not just men -- but leaders. To accomplish this, we must become intentional mentors. When my kids turned thirteen,
7 Reasons Boys Struggle (Part 2)
Yesterday, I began to address the specific struggles young males have in Generation Y. I suggested there are at least seven reasons boys struggle. Here is part two of the list: 4. The Media: Television, Movies and Music TV dilemmas are resolved in thirty minutes. The Internet can be manipulated at will. Students can log off Facebook -- and visit Second Life.
7 Reasons Boys Struggle (Part 1)
If you read my blogs each week -- you know I believe in kids. At Growing Leaders, we are committed to equipping this emerging generation to be healthy, life-giving leaders. However, worldwide, adults are experiencing a dilemma as they attempt to connect with and teach students. One primary trouble spot among Generation Y is the male gender. Something has happened on
8 Ideas on How to Lead Generation Y Well in the Marketplace (Part 2)
Yesterday, I began a two-part series. I am sharing 8 ideas for leaders on working with young adults from Generation Y. Yesterday, I relayed the first 4 ideas: 1. Create incentive for them. 2. Micro-manage at first. 3. Let them share ideas. 4. Launch a mutual-mentoring initiative. Let me share another 4 ideas that I hope will spark some of your own. 5. Communicate the importance
8 Ideas on How to Lead Generation Y Well in the Marketplace (Part 1)
For the last three months, recent college graduates have been hunting for work. They represent the most unemployed demographic in the American population. They are forced to make adjustments from campus life to the corporate world. For many, it’s a huge chasm. In this blog and tomorrows, I’d like to share a handful of practical ideas I’ve seen work as employers
One Signal of a Quarter-Life Crisis
Have you heard of quarter-life crisis? Everyone has heard of midlife crisis. In fact, most people know someone who has gone through it. It’s a forty-something (or fifty-year-old) who began to question who he was or what he’d accomplished, and decided to make a change -- new wife, new car, new career, new goatee, new earring, etc. (It can happen to
A Leadership Fumble
I’m sure you’ve heard about it on the news. A Gainesville, Florida pastor named Terry Jones and his church congregation threatened to burn copies of the Quran this past Saturday, September 11th, the anniversary of terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This was their way of responding to the Islamic activities from that day and since that time. Pastor Jones got
The Heart of a True Teacher
This past Friday, I spoke at Jefferson High School in East Texas. I met with the school superintendant and her staff, then did an assembly for the student body, met with the football team, and finally had lunch with the head football coach. It was the coach that arranged this series of meetings. His name is Scott Hale. He has been
An Interview with Mark Bauerlein (Part 3)
I have the privilege of meeting fairly regularly with an extremely intelligent man named Mark Bauerlein. Mark is a writer for The Wall Street Journal, he’s authored numerous books and he’s a faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta. This last time we met, I brought a camera man. I wanted to get Mark’s observations on students today, the kids that
An Interview with Mark Bauerlein (Part 2)
I have the privilege of meeting fairly regularly with an extremely intelligent man named Mark Bauerlein. Mark is a writer for The Wall Street Journal, he’s authored numerous books and he’s a faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta. This last time we met, I brought a camera man. I wanted to get Mark’s observations on students today, the kids that
An Interview with Mark Bauerlein (Part 1)
I have the privilege of meeting fairly regularly with an extremely intelligent man named Mark Bauerlein. Mark is a writer for The Wall Street Journal, he's authored numerous books and he's a faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta. This last time we met, I brought a camera man. I wanted to get Mark's observations on students today, the kids that
Emerging Tide Leaders
I had a blast over Labor Day. I was a like a kid in a candy store. Two team members and I spent the weekend at the University of Alabama, watching the Crimson Tide roll over San Jose State, 48-3. Their stadium now holds almost 102,000 fans. On Sunday and Monday -- we spent time with 31 of their athletes from all
Re-post: Trying to Understand the Mind of Generation iY
There are reasons why this new generation of students appears so extreme. While there are some similarities between them and the previous generation, Gen. X, they’re not simply Gen. X on steroids. They are unique. You can find both positive and negative research about them. Before we attempt to develop them as leaders, we must try to understand their world.
Working with Generation iY: What They Expect on the Job or on a Team
There’s something you should know about these young employees who are just now gracing your workplace. In many ways, the newest hires are not like Generation X or the Baby Boomers before them. They are Generation iY, who grew up in the “I” world, online. Their world has produced a set of expectations that leaders should recognize. Below is a
Is Texting Addictive?
This is a question worth our attention today: Can texting from a cell phone become addictive? Should it be treated like other addictive narcotics or stimulants? I know that sounds a bit crazy, but doctors and psychologists are now answering the question and their answers my surprise you. Their conclusion? According to a CBS report from Philadelphia, “Teenagers are becoming addicted
What Does the Leader Development Process Look Like? (Part Three)
For the past two days, I have blogged about what ingredients are needed in the leadership development process. Following a great conference (event), what must be part of the follow-up if you plan to sustain the momentum you gained at the event? I shared the first 3 essentials yesterday. Here are the others: 4. Real-Time Modeling A good process always includes a