As a parent, I’m guilty of confining my children to a box of socially acceptable norms and each time they stray from those expections, I struggle to teach them what they should be doing and find myself further berating them with the rules and potential consequences of their actions.

As a boss, I’m different. I push my team to break away from the norm and explore new and challenging things. I teach them to do things their own way. I encourage them to recognize their weaknesses, but mostly to find and excel at their strengths. I embrace that every person on my team is amazing.

My children are amazing; there no question in my mind about that. So, why do I parent so differently from how I lead my team? Is it too late to change what’s become so routine? These are questions I haven’t yet answered.

I love The Art of Possibility and this video of Benjamin Zander. If you have 15 minutes, watch “How To Give An A”. It is so worth it. I seem to have it figured out at work, but I need to find ways to implement this mentality when parenting.