Athletics, Leadership

This year, I have watched countless ballgames, athletic contests and competitions among young athletes. In several of them, I have watched people (either the players, the coaches or the parents) show evidence of an unhealthy competitive spirit. You already know what I am talking about, don’t you? It’s the dad who cusses out his 12-year old son, because his boy

Generation iY®, Podcast, Workplace

Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with a good friend, Curt Beavers. Curt is not only a successful business owner but also an entrepreneur. Here are some highlights from our conversation about Millennials entering the workforce and their entrepreneurial mindset. https://growingleaders.com/podcast/Resources/Curt_Beavers_Podcast.mp3 Tim Elmore: There seems to be a paradox among this emerging generation of young adults and new professionals. Very often,

Culture, Youth

(And What You Can Learn from These Reasons) Once again, we find ourselves in the wake of heartache and disaster caused by terrorist groups. The authorities in Brussels are still collecting the numbers, but it appears 30 more people are dead. The targets were strategic—rush hour at an airport and a metro station. I have been asking myself a question since 2001,

Education, Students

There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the idea of using “gaming” to teach in the classroom. Some faculty members believe it’s nonsense—that all we’re doing when we “gamify” our pedagogy is caving in to the whimsical wishes of an adolescent. They maintain that it encourages the desire to play instead of work in a child, and the end

Parenting

20 Conversations Today's Kids Need to Have Today’s world is challenging and complex. It’s a difficult world in which to navigate our lives. It’s so different than the one my parents helped me enter, as a young adult. For many reasons, today’s adult has often been unwilling or unable to host crucial conversations with teens and twenty-somethings. Consequently, students graduate unready for the

Education, Students

Have you ever paused to observe how students learn best? Do you stop to reflect on the environments that are most conducive for learning? If you are in a typical classroom—it’s easy to forget. Somehow, many of us have lost the art of enabling students to learn—andI’m speaking of both higher education as well as K-12 education. Author Erika Christakis is challenging

Parenting

I recently met with a twenty-three year old who told me he’s seeing a counselor. That, in itself, wasn’t shocking. Millions of young Millennials are in therapy for various levels of anxiety, depression or addictions. What stopped me in my tracks was his reason for seeking psychological help: “I think I got the wrong parents.” Yes, he actually said that. While those

Leadership

Now that we’ve experienced more than fifteen years of research on the Millennial Generation, many adults have become jaded toward them. This population of young people, millions who’ve grown up feeling entitled to things they’ve not earned, self-absorbed, lazy and unready for adulthood has colored (even soured) the opinions of employers, coaches and teachers in high school and college. Too

Culture, Education, Students

In our work with students each year, I meet a disproportionate amount of teens and twenty-somethings who are perfectionists. They are students who are dissatisfied with any outcome less than perfection. This shows up in: Their grades. Their sport. Their projects. Their relationships. Their identity and self worth. I recognize certain personalities are more prone to be perfectionists, but my experience