Mother's Day Leadership Lessons

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the moms (especially the ones in my life!) out there for everything they do, each and every day!  As I sat down to think about what I could write about today, it really became abundantly clear - mothers are really the perfect models of leadership!  While there are many lessons on leadership that I could talk about, I would like to keep it simple and focus on three.  And while I would like to honor all mothers today, I wanted to focus on the three that I know best - my mother Arlene, my wife Cathy, and my mother-in-law (who died several years ago), Helen.

Lesson #1: Never stop learning.  All three of the mothers I have mentioned lived or are currently living lives filled with opportunities to learn, and in each case, they took advantage of these opportunities to the fullest.  My own mother graduated from college at a time when many women did not, starting out a career as a teacher and going on to earn a Masters degree.  One of my earliest memories is going to my mother's commencement ceremony at Butler University (maybe because it was an awfully long time for someone my age to sit still and behave!).  My wife, Cathy, started out in marketing and sales after college, took several years to stay at home full time and raise four kids, and went back to school to earn her Masters in education.  She is now the best middle school math teacher I know!  My mother-in-law, Helen, also graduated from college at a time when many women did not go to college and worked as a nurse.  She spent the next several years working and going back to school, earning a number of Masters degrees in nursing, counseling, and pastoral care.  These three wonderful women have taught me to never stop learning.  If your dreams require you to go back to school so that you can reach your goals, then do it.  But even if you don't go back to school, never, ever stop learning.  Leaders should never stop learning.

Lesson #2: Take care of your own.  My mother raised two of us, my mother-in-law raised 8 children, and my wife raised four children.  They say that a mother's love knows no bounds - a mother's love is endless.  No matter what you do in this life, your mother will always be there for you.  You can always count on your mother.  These three women have taught me to always, no matter what, take care of your own.  Support your team.  Protect your team.  Be an example for your team - inspire, motivate, nurture.  Leaders should always take care of their team.

Lesson #3: Make it fun.  I had a great childhood - I am sure my mother made things fun for my sister and I when we were growing up.  I want to focus here on my own wife, the mother of our four children.  She always made things fun for the kids.  She always came up with fun ways to teach our kids lessons about other cultures, other countries, and life in general.  She is a natural - even though all of our kids have grown, she continues to make math (not the most exciting subject in school, at least in my opinion) fun for her students.  Work isn't always easy, but it should be fun.  Keep a positive attitude.  Be happy.  Keep things loose and lighthearted, even in times of stress.  Leaders should always make it fun.

Today, I wanted to thank Arlene, Cathy, and Helen for teaching our extended family these three great lessons.  Never stop learning.  Take care of your own.  Make it fun.  Happy Mother's Day!