ADVICE RATING |
  4.41 (Worth a try) from 10 votes (1186 Visits) |
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Parenting as leadership training |
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by wombat68  (April 2006) (rank 18th) |
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Telia is one of the largest telecommunication providers in Scandinavia. In Sweden, Telia encourages all men to take paternity leave for at least 3 months, because it believes that being a "stay at home dad" develops emotional intelligence and leadership ability. Telia gives the dads training in the
emotional intelligence and personal development and 3 - 6 months full pay.
What can dads learn by working full-time at home and being the primary carer of their kids?
- Organisational Skills
- Communication
- Listening
- Humility
- Understanding the needs of others
- Learning to defer own needs in favor of others
- Respect for people who provide support or nuturing work in the home, community and workplace.
- The pleasure of serving others
The immediacy of childrens' needs is one of the most important learning stimuli. I can't think of anything more self esteem consuming and testing of your patience than looking after small children. They overwhelm you with their needs and wants. Men are very good at putting off to tomorrow things that do not benefit them directly. They would much prefer to satisfy their own needs now, than have to help someone else. Young children are even more selfish than male executives! Young children have wants and needs that must be satisfied right now. As the primary carer, men have to deal with their selfish, but lovable offsping, to subordinate their own needs to their child's. Men can learn humility.
Men can also learn to develop more robust self-esteem by:
- being able to put others first without feeling disappointed
- learning to feel good about themselves even though they aren't at work
- reassessing their values--what is truly important to them?
- learning the value of feelings and relationships, not just things.
So to all you men out there... if you want to be a great leader, someone that people really go the extra mile for, then spend 6 months at home with your kids and become the primary carer. It's hard work; probably harder than anything you've done before. But it has the potential to make you a much better leader and definitely a better person, partner and friend. I have been an executive coach and leadership trainer for ten years and believe that these things are better and more effieciently learned at home rather than in the classroom or workplace.
Go for it!
Wombat
