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Employee Management | November 27, 2007

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Dad I Learned From Being a CEO

Posted by Clint Greenleaf at 9:36 AM

OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration -- my only child is 7 1/2 months old and I'm barely able to keep up with her. But there are a lot of things that I've learned from managing people that translate well into parenthood -- and vice versa.

Let Them Cry
Sometimes, no matter how hard it may be, you need to let them cry it out. Whether it's an employee who wants more of something but hasn't quite earned it yet (money, PTO, etc.) or a baby who is overtired and needs to sleep, you can't always get what you want. As a parent and a CEO, you can't always give them what they ask for. That's an important lesson for everyone.

Count to 10
I've found that in most cases when I'm really angry, it's a very temporary thing. I am usually much less irate after I've had some time to cool off, whether it's because an employee made a big mistake or because my daughter puked on my suit. Losing your temper is not a good way to show that you are in charge and worthy of respect. It's also not a good way to help your staff/child improve. Count to 10 before you react, and think about how a measured response will get you much better results.

Let Them Fail
Man, this is a tough one. There are many times when you just need to sit back and watch people fail. It's for their own good, but my God it's hard to do. Employees need to botch a sale, sometimes, in order to learn how to do it correctly. Kids are the same way. They have to fall down when trying to stand, walk or ride a bike. If you save either from the mistakes before they happen, you'll deprive them of the chance to learn important lessons firsthand.

Carrots, Not Sticks
After a few years of training with the US Marine Corps, I learned how training using the stick works. (I did have a few brilliant officers who understood other methods, but the majority of them were well schooled with sticks.) My employees, however, have shown me that carrots work much better. This is a wonderful lesson that really works with kids, too. Rewarding good behavior creates a desire to behave well without all the trauma of avoiding pain.

Be the Boss/Parent
There is a desire among bosses to be friendly with your staff. There are a number of benefits to this, and it's often encouraged, but when push comes to shove, you have to be able to separate as a friend and be the boss. There is a huge difference between being friendly and being friends. A friendly boss can still be a boss when he or she needs to be, but it's really hard to crack down on your friends. Parents are in the same boat -- you can love your kids, but you are not their friend. You need to have that separation for times when you need to use your authority.

There are so many parallels between management of employees and parenting. By learning from both arenas, you can strengthen your skills in both. And remember, it's NEVER okay to shake an employee.

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