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Child's Guide to Leadership

July 25, 2002

"When we were small children, we were natural leaders, getting attention when we entered the room, welcoming people, making sure everyone was comfortable, making clear what needed to be done, getting everyone involved, and encouraging them to do things great and small that really made a difference.  We were masters at working a room and creating a context for action.

As small kids we took the lead in wonderful ways, without hidden agendas, passing judgment on people and ideas or setting unrealistic expectations, but with intentions that were always honest, honorable, and obvious.  We took for granted that everyone could participate and that everyone wanted to make a contribution if we knew how to bring out the best in them.

Whether out of desire, necessity, or merely invention, small children know how to get and keep everyone's attention.  It's clearly not by the power of their position, but through the gentle and amusing force of their personalities and the sheer strength of their wills.  Kids have a real gift for setting the right tone.  That's not to say they are always at their best when it is time to take charge.  But they are pretty good at learning that one is more likely to get others to come along by relying on warmth, spontaneity, sheer exuberance, confidence, and a clear and compelling plan.  And when children aren't at their best, a well-timed nap is often the key to maintaining their leadership edge.

When we were young, we knew how to communicate with great skill.  All we needed were a few well-chosen words, a tug on someone's hand, a quick glance in any direction, or a book or game that we could drop in someone's lap.  We also knew instinctively how to make each and every person feel at ease.  In our world it was easy to create a comfort zone where inhibitions were checked at the door, no one had any limits, and each person could bring his own special abilities to the forefront, and there was always room to share a very soft blanket.  In a broader world filled with uncertainty, stress, and discomfort, we found ways to create safe and 'cozy places' for ourselves and others where could all perform at our best.

As small children we also knew how to be caring cheerleaders, and could break down most barriers with a smile or the simple words, 'Good job!' and 'Thank you!'  For us, encouragement was not a scarce commodity to be parceled out only for superhuman effort.  We delighted in giving positive reinforcement (partially because we liked to receive it), and had the knack for building people's self-esteem.  We even went out of our way to give people credit for the positive things they did and rarely took credit for things we hadn't done ourselves.  As little kids we measured success as a willingness to participate, to take a chance and the desire to give a part of yourself to the effort at hand.  We instinctively knew that if we aren't encouraged to try, we will never take the risk to try again and someday excel.  In our world, kindness and gratitude were the currencies of choice (Gregerman, 2000, pp. 93-95)."

Reference:  Gregerman, A.S. (2000).  Lessons from the sandbox: using the 13 gifts of childhood t to rediscover the keys to business success. Chicago:  Contemporary Books.

How can you incorporate this child's guide to leadership into your organization?

Lessons from the Sandbox is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2008-12-13, Updated: 2009-01-06