1000x "whys" from your kid and leadership

How does being a father helps me be a better leader? 👨‍👧💡

One proven way to build children's self-esteem is not to force them to do things. Don't use the position of power, but inspire, explain, and acknowledge their feelings.

Since my daughter started to perceive causality, she's been asking 1000x "why" questions. While sometimes it's hell-hard, I know this is how she connects the dots. The worst thing I can do is to be authoritarian and answer "because I said so".

Having full context helps her to generalize things. Suppose I forbid her to put a screwdriver in an electrical outlet. How on earth will she know it's not okay to put scissors or knives there too? I owe her an explanation, so she can be independent of me and deal with her problems.

This easily translates to the leader's work. You can act from a position of power and force your teammates to do something only you understand. But without full context, you cannot make them accountable for results. And you stop them from becoming independent from you.

So give them context. Give them problems, not tasks. And let them ask a million "why" questions. It can surprise you how often you will realize that things you expect don't make sense anymore.

This is a lesson from my relationship with my daughter. Before I expect something from her, I must ensure I have a good reason for that.