Do you “wonder how you” break the rules?

Children are our future leaders is a backwards statement. In April, I shared the birth of my granddaughter, Makenna Nan and, in June, our second new leader sprouted – Parker Dean. There is no doubt in my mind these babies and our other grandchildren are leading the way in their parents’ home and mine today. Every time I look in their bright little eyes I wonder what leadership greatness waits to sprout in their heart, mind, and spirit as they grow up?

I recently ran across an internet article 6 Rules Grandparents Love to Break! The last paragraph made me chuckle and think, ". . . As grandparents you realize that you drove your kids nuts for absolutely no good reason." It reminded me of the parallel I see between parenting and leadership rules.

When my children were born, my ex-husband and I were parents in a survival condition. I took the lead to establish and enforce the rules to bring a sense of order to our chaotic household. We were inconsistent in our parenting and that often left our children confused as to what rules to follow and why. In spite of our condition, our children turned out well - thanks to the ability of my father, step-mother, and ex-mother-in-law to provide loving and nurturing support without undermining our role as parents.

Looking back, I realize the deeper in survival I was the more rules I created and rigid I became. When I divorced and then met my new husband, he too was in a survival condition, but suffered the opposite affliction. He had few rules and was lax about what he would tolerate. To thrive, we blended our styles and worked to find balance between my rigid rules and his extreme tolerance.

Over time, I began to wonder how many of the rules established, abided by, or ignored are really weeds that stunt the creativity, goals, and dreams - both in a home and work place.

Rules are necessary for order, harmony, and safety in environments where people live, work, and play. The key - do the rules nurture or suppress the human spirit's unique ability to be the one and only true leader responsible for their life?

I am still big on rules, but in my advancing age I now question the rules I use from the organic view of growing thriving Leadership Gardens. When planting a physical garden, the leader of a plant doesn’t follow any rules but those of nature. As human leaders , your job is the same. This requires looking for and nurturing your own and each person’s unique expression to thrive versus merely survive.

As a grandparent/leader it is a wonderful time to nurture Leadership Gardens. You have come full circle. You have distance from the day-to-day challenge of parenting and the wisdom to see rules that suppress or enhance greatness. I suspect that is why grandparents love to break the rules and so do leaders with a unique purpose and aim.

What are some rules you should break today that will free your leader within to thrive?