Five Actions to Help Your Kids Think for Themselves
By Tim Elmore I read a publication years ago that said 70 percent of Americans do no thinking on their own. I was never able to locate the source of this data, but my own experience verifies it. I assume the number means that the average person relies on commercials, referrals, endorsements, or reviews to help them make decisions. People don’t
Helping Your Students Discern Between Wants and Needs
By Tim Elmore I’ve witnessed a measurable shift in the way parents view their role today. When I was growing up, parents believed they did a good job if they gave their child everything she or he needed. Today, parents believe they’ve done a good job if they give their child everything they want. And while the pursuit feels noble, it’s
A Secret I Learned That Determines My Level of Hope
By Tim Elmore I met a young woman recently who suffered a tragic accident on the freeway. We hear stories like hers far too often. She was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision and was hurt so severely that her parents questioned whether they should unplug the machines in the ICU. Miraculously, she survived, yet now lives as
Fighting for Friendship in Your Career
By Tim Elmore I’ve made two observations about friendships as I have grown older. First, the older I get, the less I feel I need people. I know that sounds arrogant but stay with me. I now enjoy a self-sufficient lifestyle after building social equity over 45 years of a career. My second observation, however, is that the older I get,
Six Crippling Realities We Must Address in Today’s Kids: Part 3
By Tim Elmore This is part three of a three-part series that breaks down the six realities that kids today are facing. To read part one of the series, click here. Today, we look at the final part of a three-part series on crippling realities that handicap today’s kids socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. So far, we’ve examined these: Exposure is
Six Crippling Realities We Must Address in Today’s Kids: Part 2
By Tim Elmore This is part two of a three-part series that breaks down the six realities that kids today are facing. To read part one of the series, click here. It’s funny how many unhealthy practices were once considered healthy and helpful by medical authorities. Products and drugs we now know to be destructive were once considered good: Cigarettes, for instance,
Six Crippling Realities We Must Address in Today’s Kids: Part One
By Tim Elmore I spoke to an audience of parents recently and found a common thread among their concerns for their children. One after another shared how their child or teen: Needed extra attention to complete assignments. Was easily upset or paralyzed by normal hardships. Hesitated to take on new projects or opportunities. Struggled to adapt to new situations. Unfortunately, this is
A Lonely Generation Passionate For Relationship
By Kiera Colson Our blog today was authored by Kiera Colson. Kiera is a 19-year-old sophomore at Lee University and was an intern with us at Growing Leaders this past summer. Kiera is a brilliant young leader who is passionate about seeing her generation grow into their highest potential. A two-week surprise vacation turned into a two-year realization for the rising generations. We
How to Stop Faking Courage and Actually Practice It
By Tim Elmore I have not always been a courageous leader. I began my career as a people-pleaser, only appearing to be a leader with convictions. When it came down to making a tough call, I sometimes buckled under the pressure of appeasing others. In my twenties, I neglected to step in and confront a conflict between two team members. I didn’t
How to Bring Balance to Toxic Competition
By Tim Elmore Have you noticed? Competition rules our day, especially for kids. Students experience constant competition with peers surrounding academic grades, indoor and outdoor sports, social media followers, video gaming, college scholarships, even friends. What’s more, we rank everything. Today, everyone is either an adversary or an ally. I should acknowledge that I’m a competitive person. Growing up, I played basketball and
Helping Students to Balance Judgment and Tolerance
By Tim Elmore You may remember watching the movie, Mean Girls. It was an iconic film for Millennials back in 2004. The story was about mean-spirited high school students who required an intervention because of their judgmental attitudes toward frenemies. The movie was rightly named. For that matter, the film Top Gun: Maverick, while it contained stellar comradery, was full of
Don’t Allow Your Young People to Settle for Happiness
By Tim Elmore I know a young couple who recently got married, but shortly thereafter, one of the partners decided she didn’t want to stay married. Her reasoning? She wasn’t happy. She claimed he never made her happy and she should not have married him. While that may all be true, it grieves me that millions of folks presume other people