What did the parents do right?

When I meet someone who really has their act together, I often wonder what their childhood must have been like, what their parents must have done right.

This fall, I wrote letters of recommendation for one such person, a former employee, who is applying to some of the top business schools in the US. In addition to answering specific questions about the candidate, I was asked to check off skills and qualities from a large grid of leadership qualities. As I read over the grid, I started wondering how a parent raises a child who can get into these schools, a child who:

“Is respectful to all and generous with praise; ensures other opinions are heard.”
“Is reliable and authentic even at some personal cost; works to ensure all members of the organization operate with integrity.”
“Brings others together across boundaries to achieve results and share best practices.”
“Inspires and motivates others to develop by providing feedback and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their efforts to change.”
and the list keeps going

There is no simple answer, but I bet his parents must have been strong role models of all of these qualities.

If you are a parent, or if children are an important part of your life, how do you help them develop leadership qualities? Did you have a leadership role model growing up? I’d like to hear from you!

–Karen