Four Lost Qualities We Must Build in Students Today
I find myself challenging adults to call students back to fundamentals today. It’s not that I’m against progress; technology is not going away and most of us don’t want it to. Our world is growing at a fast pace, and change always comes with growth. But I am concerned we adults are not helping young adults navigate their lives. We
Two View Points to Avoid
Much has been written about the self-absorption of high school and college students today. Narcissism and self-esteem is on the rise, with 80 percent of middle-school students scoring higher in self-esteem in 2006 than the average middle-school student in 1988, according to one study (Review of General Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 3). Among college students, subclinical levels of narcissism have
Getting Out of My Little Box
I have noticed a pattern in many leaders. Most of us start well—with good motives, a clear vision for adding value to our world, and lots of energy. Over time, though, our perspective gets muddied. We may still be pursuing our goal, but our sight becomes limited. We no longer see the big picture. We become self-focused, and our energy
Small Sprockets and the Next Great American Skier
We are at the end of the Sochi Olympics, and as you’ve probably witnessed, there have been an incredible assortment of stories and achievements that have made these games special. One specific story from this past week reminds me of a leadership skill we can instill in students called Small Sprockets. Mikaela Shiffrin was once like any other kid who liked
Mom and Dad…on the Job?
By now, most of us have heard stories of a parent who’s accompanied Junior to the job interview. If not, it’s usually a sad story of a mom or dad who can’t let go and won’t let their child grow up. What’s more, some parents visit their adult-child at work and even request pay-raises for them. The apron strings remain
Seeing the Big Picture in Sochi
We are nearing the end of the Sochi Olympics, and as you’ve probably witnessed, there have been an incredible assortment of stories and achievements that have made these games special. One specific story that came out during this season reminds me of a leadership skill we can instill in students called Life Sentence. Life Sentence The contribution of a leader will ultimately
Four Timeless Ideas to Make Your Point
In 350 B.C., Aristotle mused about how to communicate effectively, as well as what makes for a convincing argument. How could someone make a speech and persuade listeners to agree and act on it? That’s a good question. It seems this is a timeless question, too. The answer, he argued, could be found in three ideas: Ethos (credibility) – This is an
Podcast #19: 5 Strategies to Help Students Become Mentally Tough
Recently I had a great conversation with Justin Su'a, Head of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academy. We discussed the current state of student-athletes and ways we can help them (as well as any student) become mentally tough. Through many conversations with athletic personnel like Justin, I am seeing the same trends over and over concerning student-athletes. I hope you enjoy
Correcting Our Course in Student Development
Adjusting the Sails Correcting Our Course in Student Development Several years ago, some team members and I at Growing Leaders were training students and youth workers in Cairo, Egypt. While there, we had the privilege of hopping in a small boat and sailing on the Nile River. It was surreal. Up one direction was a Chili’s restaurant and toward the other, the
Welcome to Our McCulture
After watching the news recently, three thoughts struck me. They were observations about the state of our culture today. Once a culture rich with depth, democracy, morals and humility, we are now
Olympic Skier Crosses Finish with Help From Rival Country
The Winter Olympics in Sochi are well under way, and already, we are seeing and hearing amazing stories from Olympic athletes. One story in particular represents everything great about the games and reminds me of a Habitude called The Waldorf Principle. Anton Gafarov In the finals of the Men’s Cross Country Skiing event, Russia’s Anton Gafarov crashed halfway down the hill, badly damaging his
What Makes Education Work? (Part Two)
One of our values at Growing Leaders is to play a role in enabling administrators and faculty to lead their schools and classes well. As John Maxwell has said for years: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Yesterday, I posted Part One of a blog series that looked at what’s hindering Education from working well. Today, I’d like to look
What Makes Education Work? (Part One)
While I am a leadership trainer by trade, I am a teacher at heart. And whenever I see faculty struggling to communicate their lesson plans—I feel with them. Today’s student has an attention span that often matches their age, (i.e. eight years old, eight minutes), prefers learning on a screen or from an experience, and wants to talk twice as
Six Steps to Take to Prepare for the Coming Culture Shift
I have written before about the generation of younger kids who’ll follow Millennials and Generation iY. They’re still young (12 or younger), but they will experience a different reality than their older siblings, aunts and uncles born in the 1990s. If you teach, coach or parent kids, you should be aware of the coming changes. Let me illustrate the shift I
How a Famous Olympian Can Help You Grow Leaders
‘Tis the season again! The opening ceremonies for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi are upon us. If you’re like me, you’re always impressed by a story or two that surface during the games. Usually it’s about a young person who worked to qualify and then astounded the multitudes with her or his abilities. It’s a battle of minds,
Technology Etiquette for the Emerging Generation
Results are in from a new study by Jive/Harris on the most annoying smart phone behaviors at work. You may not be surprised by what they discovered. The most annoying habits in order are: Having loud private conversations: 65 percent Not silencing the phone: 59 percent Checking the phone during a conversation: 52 percent Checking the phone in a meeting: 38 percent Why do those surveyed say
How Do You Know You are the Industry Leader?
At Growing Leaders, we constantly seek to be “best in class.” We provide events and resources to develop emerging leaders on school campuses, in companies, sports teams, non-profit orgs, church youth groups, you name it. Recently, I heard two television commentators talking about the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards. As they mused about the best films of 2013, Disney animators
The Best Young Inventors and Their Creations
From time to time, I like to remind our blog readers that Generation iY contains some incredibly innovative and disciplined individuals. When I meet them or read about them, my hope for the future is refreshed. Some of their inventions are wild and some are deeply practical— but all of them are encouraging. Since 1996, T3 magazine has been awarding
Who Do You Connect with When You Teach?
Earlier this month, I posted a series of blogs on the power of teaching with images. The research is what’s behind our creation of Habitudes—Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, as many students today learn best through images and visuals. It’s their world. Yet even though we know the students we lead are different from each other, we tend to