Working Conversations Episode 55:

Leadership Lessons from a Fifth Grader

I never imagined myself sharing leadership lessons from my youngest son on the Working Conversations Podcast.

I mean, I’ve been teaching leadership for decades. What lessons could he possibly have at his young age?  He is still in the fifth grade by the way.

And yet, here I am now, sharing in the podcast the leadership lessons I’ve learned from my son, Blake. I must say, he really inspired me for this episode.

Recently, he was wildly enthusiastic about his intention to run for Mayor in Biz Town. It turns out that there’s a lot of leadership wisdom at work already, even at the fifth-grade level.

That’s why I was so excited to take notes, sit down, record a podcast, and talk about the leadership concepts that my son mentioned in the conversation.

If you’ve listened to Episode 54 of the Working Conversations Podcast, or perhaps have listened to me in one of my leadership keynotes, you’ve heard me say that you can lead from wherever you are on the organizational chart. For this episode, I want to add to and deepen that discussion.

I firmly believe that we learn leadership at an early age — but we are not limited to that. We can continue to learn to be better leaders our entire lives.

If you’re thinking “Janel, I’m sure I’ve been there, done that” — hey, you might have been there, but these new concepts might be what you need in your leadership toolbox! These are the kind of insights from a youngster’s point of view I want you to have so you can lead enthusiastically every day.

Believe me, it will give you a new perspective on what leadership looks like. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you’ve found this episode helpful, download it for future use, and don’t forget to share it with the leaders – and parents – around your circle!

HERE’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DIG INTO IN THIS EPISODE:

1. Everyone can talk a good game, but leaders deliver on their promise.
2. Leaders get into action and take initiative.  
3. The details matter. Leaders do the paperwork.
4. Past performance is a good predictor of future success.