How to Help Students Fight a Victim Mentality
By: Tim Elmore I read two recent news stories that left me stunned. One young man from India chose to sue his parents for giving birth to him. He argued that he never asked to be born into this crazy world, and he wants some cash for having to endure it. I am not kidding. Another news story reported that a set of
What Do We Do When Kids Show More Courage than Police?
By: Tim Elmore Did you hear what just happened? Last week, Girl Scouts of the USA posthumously awarded ten-year-old Amerie Jo Garza of Uvalde, Texas, one of the highest honors bestowed in Girl Scouting: the “Bronze Cross.” Notice—the honor was given to Amerie Jo after she died. The Bronze Cross is awarded for saving or attempting to save a life at the risk
Five Ways the Pandemic Changed Team Members From Generation Z
By: Tim Elmore I distinctly remember interviewing for a full-time job with John C. Maxwell in 1982. John was not famous yet, except in certain circles, but he already displayed lots of agency. His personality filled the room. I was graduating college that year, and he expressed an interest in my skills. When I look back at that exchange, which later turned
How to Make the Most of Your Brain Based on Your Generation
By: Tim Elmore I just made a discovery. For the first time in my life, I realized I know people who are from seven sociological generations. My aunt and uncle are from the Senior generation (1902-1928). My mother and father-in-law are from the Builders generation (1929-1945). My wife and I are both from the baby boomer generation (1946-1964). My teammates Shawn and
The Connection Between Aspiration and Inspiration in Kids
By: Tim Elmore A boy named Norris began mowing lawns four years ago. I’m not talking about mowing his own lawn; he’d been doing that already. I mean he began mowing lawns for other people who needed it, starting with a disabled neighbor who lived nearby. He didn't make a big deal of it. He just marched over and mowed the lawn.
The Most Tangible Shift Generation Z Has Made from Millennials
By: Tim Elmore An NFL football coach recently told me of the tangible changes in professional athletes today compared to 25 years ago, when he first began coaching. He mentioned that players have a higher expectation of what they’ll receive as part of their compensation and feel entitled to having a voice in how the team is managed. These expectations are not
How to Lead a Kid Who’s an Underdog
By: Tim Elmore Even if you’re not a big Kentucky Derby fan, you’ve probably heard what just happened in the last race at Churchill Downs. To say the winner was a long shot is an understatement. A horse named Rich Strike won the derby, a race in which he did not even belong. It all took place on May 8th (less than
Do you speak Generation Z’s Language?
By: Tim Elmore It’s been over 50 years since the term generation gap was first coined by Life magazine editor John Poppy. During the 1960s, he noticed a gap between the young baby boomers and their parent’s generation, the Builders. Those boomers used new language the adults did not recognize. I am one of those baby boomers and, believe it or not,
Eleven Challenges All Young Employees Can Grow From
By: Tim Elmore As I spot “Help Wanted” signs on the windows of many establishments today, I often consider the qualities young job seekers should learn. Too often, young adults don’t take entry-level positions because they feel those jobs are beneath them. I recently reflected on the early experiences I had in my career that taught me lessons I may not have
One Social and Emotional Learning Step That Matures Students
By: Tim Elmore “My students enter the classroom as if they’re customers. They expect me to serve them curriculum, make it fun, and work hard to ensure they make good grades. It’s like they’re consumers,” bemoaned one teacher I met in Missouri. Then, she had an epiphany. “I guess they are consumers in one sense,” she concluded. “They digest a subject each day for
Compassion and Consequences: Can We Lead Students with Both?
By: Tim Elmore Last month, a Chicago Metra train conductor was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight. Not long after, photos of the robbery suspect were released, and that’s when the armed thief was apprehended. Even though he was wearing a mask, it all happened so quickly. You’ll never guess how the thief was captured so fast. When the security camera’s photos were published,
How to Teach Social and Emotional Skills Without Being a Therapist
By: Tim Elmore Last month, I asked a group of educators a question, and the answer was revealing. A group of 21 teachers who use our Habitudes for Social and Emotional Learning all said they enjoyed the classroom conversation our images sparked but admitted: “Whenever I teach social and emotional skills, it inevitably brings up emotional issues like conflict resolution or anger management.
The Best Way to View the Pandemic, Two Years Into COVID-19
By: Tim Elmore The name COVID-19 is derived from three words. The first syllable, CO, is taken from corona. The second syllable, VI, is taken from virus. The D is for disease. And the number 19, reminds us that the virus began in 2019 when we first heard about missteps in a lab in China. The first infections took place among Chinese
Welcome to the Land of Tomorrow: Millennials vs. Generation Z at Work
By: Tim Elmore Last October, The New York Times ran an article called “The 37-Year-Olds Are Afraid of the 23-Year-Olds Who Work for Them.” It was about how entitled millennials are unable to manage their even more entitled Gen Z workers. The piece was interesting but needed explanation. The stories were anecdotal and didn’t completely line up with the data. It’s important we
Why I Remain Optimistic About Generation Z
By: Tim Elmore I just met a young woman on a podcast interview who helped me recapture my hope for the future. Her name is Shamma Al Mazrui, and she is from the United Arab Emirates. Shamma graduated from New York University, Abu Dhabi, as her nation’s first Rhodes Scholar. Shamma was then elected as the Minister of State for Youth in
The Drift We’ve Witnessed in Education
By: Tim Elmore When I spoke to Mr. Dunn, an English teacher of high school seniors, he told me he had one job: to teach language arts to teenagers. My first response was to agree. He had but one task each day, and he was doing a good job of it. When I reflected on the history of education in America, I recognized
How to Read a Book
By: Tim Elmore Almost everywhere we go, people ask the questions: How do you read so many books? Where do you find the time? Just how do you read a book? Do you read it from cover to cover? The fact is these questions stem from the belief that leaders are readers. By and large, if you plan to be a lasting
How Four Generations Differ in Their Approaches to Work
By: Tim Elmore In 2020, I heard a 19-year-old member of Generation Z use the word cheugy as he made fun of someone who was trying too hard to be hip and trendy. When I asked what older person he was poking fun at, he explained it was a 29-year-old Millennial. I laughed in disbelief. The generation gap surfaces so quickly. Too
One Secret Parents Can Use to Send the Best Versions of Their Kids to School
By: Tim Elmore I spoke to a clinical psychologist recently, after an arduous day with clients. Helen is a counselor who sees families for therapy every day. She revealed a tool to me that was so simple I asked her to repeat it. She called it a “secret” because so few parents know it or apply it—but it’s within the reach of
Seven Ideas to Overcoming the Cinderella Syndrome
By: Tim Elmore Seven Ideas to Overcoming the Cinderella Syndrome In 1989, I first heard the term Cinderella Syndrome. This complex refers to a psychological condition in which a woman fears true independence and secretly expects a “knight in shining armor” (or Prince Charming) to come along and take care of her. The term Cinderella complex was coined by Agatha Christie in a
Changing the Way We See Our Students
By: Tim Elmore Like so many other districts, the Northwest School District in Missouri faced a shortage of employees. It’s actually happening all over the country in almost every industry. “Help Wanted” signs go unanswered as fewer Americans want to take on lower-paying jobs in light of a pandemic. In the NW school district, custodial, food service, and before and after school
Striking a Balance Between Boundaries and Sacrifice
By: Tim Elmore I see a problem today more often than I’ve seen it in the past. It is a collision between mindsets, both of which are essential. They‘re illustrated in the following story. Several faculty and staff members were asked to participate in a special project at their school. They were to plan a celebration of the decrease in COVID-19 infections on
The Top Ten Leadership Movies of 2021
By: Tim Elmore In the past, I’ve posted blogs on great leadership movies and the conversations they can start with colleagues and students. Below, I offer you my list of the top leadership movies of 2021. This past year, the theme of leadership was subtle but definitely present. My son, Jonathan, is a movie buff, so together, he and I, offer this
Four Messages Your Freshmen Need To Hear This Year
By: Tim Elmore Brianna Rivera is an articulate high school student who wrapped her arms around a challenge that teens face today. Finding herself thrust back into society after quarantine, she said, “That’s a lot for me, after having been in isolation for 18 months. You want to get back into the swing of things, but there’s something kind of holding you
A Commitment for Educators: Being Fully Present in the Moment
By: Tim Elmore We all imagine a perfect life from time to time. What would it be like if we had no worries, all the pleasures life could offer, all the friends one could hope for, and all the resources we’d ever need? We can dream, can’t we? May I remind you of a true story? In 1993, Joan Ginther won the lottery while
The One Thing I Do at the Beginning of Each Year
By: Tim Elmore Last week, I posted a ritual I perform at the end of each year. A second ritual I do is a natural follow-up. It enables me to enter a new year on purpose. After I invest a morning reviewing the previous year, I spend the second half of the day previewing the new year. I think, write, and reflect
The One Thing I Do at the End of Each Year
By: Tim Elmore For 36 years now, I have performed a ritual at the end of December. It’s the way I wrap up each year and gain some perspective on my life. I take half of a day to get completely alone. Usually, I get away from the house and find a quiet place to reflect. During this time, I think, pray, and
One Secret to Take Full Advantage of Your Holiday Break
By: Tim Elmore Several years ago, in a remote area of a country in Africa, local villagers discovered that some young elephants wandered from the herd. They were lost for some time. When those pachyderms were returned to their families, they were no longer babies. They’d changed over time. Researchers, called Mahouts, made some fascinating observations as they watched these stray
How to Help Students Beat Stress and Welcome Pressure
By: Tim Elmore Jana Davidson teaches seventh-grade science and tenth-grade biology. Every day, she observes students entering her classroom feeling stressed out. Many of them feel overwhelmed. Anxiety has been normalized thanks to social media and a pandemic. When I asked Ms. Davidson how she helps her students manage their stress, she told me she assumes the best way is to take
Let’s Talk about TikTok
By: Andrew McPeak A few months ago, I downloaded TikTok. Within minutes, I understood what all the fuss was about. I was laughing. I was surprised. I was angered. I was awed. Not only did I experience a wide range of emotions, but I also noticed that each emotional experience was short, beckoning me to keep swiping to the next video. “After
Why Millennials and Generation Z Students Are Choosing Control Over Caution
By: Tim Elmore I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but teens and young adults today have been in a funk for the last several years. Mental health continues to be an issue in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since 2017, I’ve been watching a trend that encourages me. This overwhelmed population of young people (middle school, high school, and college
The Inverse Relationship Between Gratitude and Entitlement
By: Tim Elmore I’ll never forget the day a university professor told me a student approached him after making a poor grade on an exam. The student reasoned that because his parents paid full tuition, he deserved an “A.” Wow. Sounds like a customer, vendor transaction, doesn’t it? His mom and dad were buying a good grade, rather than a chance
What We Learn About Generation Z From the Top Netflix Show: Squid Game
By: Tim Elmore I’m not talking about The Crown. Nor am I talking about Game of Thrones. I am not even talking about Bridgerton. There is a new show in town on Netflix. The series Squid Game has taken the Netflix platform by storm. Squid Game has attracted 111 million views since its release on Sept. 17, according to a Netflix tweet.
The Impact of Reality TV on Generation Z
Generation Z, the youngest population social scientists are studying today, was born about the same time as Reality TV. You might remember the precursor to popular reality television was a 1998 Jim Carrey movie called, “The Truman Show.” It was a film about an unsuspecting man living in an average U.S. town whose entire life was monitored by television viewers,
Ten Interesting Facts About Generation Z and How They Affect Us All
Tim Elmore The Millennials are a generation who experienced an up-economy during their childhood but a declining one as they came of age. Generation Z is a population that endured a down economy during childhood but are hopeful it will be up as they come of age. The last twenty years have been tumultuous. Over time, culture has evolved. Commerce changed
How Masks Can Deepen Social and Emotional Learning
By: Tim Elmore I don’t know about you, but I am seeing more and more face masks on the ground these days. Whether it’s in a parking lot or restroom or at a shopping mall, people seem to be sending the message: “I’m through with these masks!” Yet, with the surge of infections due to the Delta variant, many schools, restaurants, and
Advice to Teachers and Parents When Guiding Teens on Instagram
By: Tim Elmore Anyone who cares about young people should see the data just revealed on Instagram and its parent company Facebook. Millions of teenagers, mostly girls, have spiraled into symptoms of depression and despair after spending time on these platforms. The data seems to indicate the connection between depression and Instagram is not just a coincidence. One teen, Anastasia Vlasova,
Now is the Time for Leaders to Step Up
Have you heard about the latest trend? People are resigning from their jobs in droves. By the millions. Inc. magazine reported on The Great Resignation, detailing the numbers; and they’re staggering. The Great Resignation, is a term coined in 2019 by Texas A&M's Anthony Klotz to predict a mass exodus from the workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, during the
Ever Heard of the Blackout Challenge? How Social Media Is Changing Peer Pressure and What to Do About It
By: Tim Elmore I remember feeling tangible peer pressure in high school. Friends pushed me to smoke cigarettes and marijuana, drink beer, and be sexually active. This was not uncommon in the 1970s. Culture was morphing from traditional to rebellious as baby boomers and Gen Xers pushed boundaries and listened to their peers over their parents. While I dabbled a bit in
Busting a Common Myth Preventing Students From Leading
Rich was one of the most consistent student leaders I witnessed while living in San Diego. But he almost never led anything; he came an inch from never, stepping up and showing his peers what he could do. He almost failed to jump a common hurdle that keeps millions of students from leading today. His hurdle? He wasn't a "natural." You see,
Practicing the Paradox of Confidence and Humility
By: Tim Elmore Bob Iger replaced Michael Eisner as the Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney Enterprises in 2005. These two leaders are polar opposites and a picture of a leadership paradox. Over the years, Eisner grew increasingly isolated and overbearing, which ultimately led to a shareholder revolt and his own dismissal. His final years, many say, were marked by self-destructive
The Need for Paradoxical Leadership
By: Tim Elmore I had an epiphany a few years ago while sitting in the green room right before I spoke at a conference. There were sixteen CEOs in the room, and I decided to turn the moment into an instant focus group. I asked these men and women if they believed that leading a team today is harder than it
Struggling to Establish Both Relationships and Accountability with Your Students? Try Using a Social Contract.
By: Andrew McPeak Just a few weeks ago, I stood in front of almost a hundred teachers — the faculty of a mid-size high school in North Dakota. Together, we discussed methods for connecting with and leading students, and the changes that leadership in the 21st-century classroom requires. We talked about everything from student engagement, to student ownership, and even experiential
How to Lead Kids Who’ve Experienced Adult-Sized Trauma
You may remember the tragic story from last April. A sixth-grader found his dad's 9mm handgun, loaded it with a magazine of bullets, and walked onto his campus at Plymouth Middle School outside of Minneapolis. He positioned himself in a hallway, shot the gun toward the ceiling, and watched fellow students run and scream in terror. His goal was to
One Magical Idea to Increase Student Engagement This Fall
By: Tim Elmore Building off of an earlier patent by John Duff, General Mills’ created its first Betty Crocker instant cake mix in 1947. Since the Great Depression and World War 2 were over, people were spending money again. Folks at Betty Crocker assumed that because they made baking easier sales would take off. But they didn’t. Executives were baffled that
Four Lessons on Leading Young People From the Tokyo Olympics
By: Tim Elmore The postponed Olympics Games held in Tokyo are now history. As always, there were highs and lows for competing athletes, but I’d like to focus on some insights we gain as we watched this year’s young athletes perform. The major difference for me in these Olympic games was the topic of mental health. Among the biggest stories from Tokyo was
Why Your Students Need a Better Emotional Vocabulary
Two years ago, Broughal Middle School in Bethlehem, PA was in a lot of trouble. As one of the state's "lowest-performing, poorest and most diverse schools" where "92 percent of children are economically disadvantaged and 87 percent are minorities," the community around Broughal Middle was trying to create change to no avail. Two years later, the school is a success
Navigating “Compassion Fatigue” as We Enter a New School Year
I met with fourteen C-suite-level leaders recently. They were from different industries, different age groups, different genders; but they all had something in common. When I asked them if leading people was more difficult today than it was when they first became leaders, each responded affirmatively. "Absolutely!" said one. "One hundred and ten percent!" replied another. The answer was a no-brainer. This sent
Sharenting: Solving the Problem of Parents and Kids on Instagram
It all started when April, Christine's youngest daughter, was five years old. Christine knew April would be their family's last baby and wanted to document each milestone and comical moment of her childhood. By the time she was ten, April was avoiding photo ops; shying away from the camera. By 13, when she had a phone of her own, April
The Art of Drawing Commitment from Students
Two senior leaders of university clubs spoke to me in August about the challenges they faced with their organizations. Both were recruiting prospective members from the students on campus, but both were disappointed. They couldn't seem to keep committed members. The students either left because they had other options, or they just lost interest in the club. I believe the problem
