The Next Generation

Whose responsibility is it to prepare the next generation to be successful in whatever they hope to achieve? Tough question - lots of people have a role to play. Obviously a great deal of the responsibility lies with the individuals themselves. Each individual has to have the desire to want something enough to strive for it, but who helps to instill that sense of achievement - that drive to make it so? As successful people will tell you - success never just falls in your lap.

The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" comes to mind - since parents, teachers, coaches, bosses all play a role in this development process. Certainly we can help lay the groundwork for our children and grandchildren by teaching them right from wrong, encouraging them to do the right things in life - be honest, treat others with respect, say "please" and "thank you" - apologize when they do something wrong or hurt someone's feelings. This certainly helps to set them on their journey and gives them a foundation for success. At least it grounds them in being accountable for their own behavior and choices - something which currently seems totally lacking in the world around us. (Hence, part of the reason we wrote our book Culture Without Accountability - WTF? What's The Fix?)

Another thing that will help instill that sense of achievement is to help them build success in their early lives by giving them increasing levels of responsibility. For example: taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, striving for good grades in school. All of these things when completed well will help them learn that feeling of self-satisfaction which comes with accomplishment and can translate into self-esteem, which we all know is critical to being successful in life.

Here's something especially aimed toward the girls in our culture. Have you been paying attention to the efforts to ban the word "bossy"? There was a great piece in the Parade Magazine Sunday featuring Condoleeza Rice, Sheryl Sandberg and Girl Scouts CEO, Anna Maria Chavez talking about how words matter. And how the words or labels we attach to behavior, especially our girls, can limit their success.

The idea is to encourage girls to lead. During their childhood, girls who demonstrate leadership behaviors get labeled stubborn, opinionated, pushy, aggressive, BOSSY! Not so common when boys demonstrate the same behavior. They tend to get rewarded for showing initiative and showing leadership potential. As stated on the website http://banbossy.com/# "Words like bossy send a message: don't raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys - a trend that continues into adulthood."

Let's not disable our girls from success by thwarting their leadership capabilities with negative labels. We need all the future leaders we can get! Brian and I have two precious granddaughters, that at 5 years old and 2 years old are already demonstrating "executive leadership skills" and who knows what they'll have the power to achieve if given the right encouragement!

Remember, it takes a village - let's all do our part!

Julie Miller and Brian Bedford are coauthors of Culture Without Accountability - WTF? What's The Fix? A book full of real life stories of what accountability looks like, and what can go wrong in its absence. When businesses, families, or individuals decline to be accountable for their actions and decisions, the results can be devastating. Businesses can fail, relationships falter, and reputations shatter. This book offers a proven process for installing an accountability-based culture, a platform for success in business and in everyday life. For more information, please visit www.millerbedford.com

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.