244: What Leadership Lessons Can You Learn from Parenting a Strong-Willed Child? A Conversation with My Dad

improve it! Podcast – Professional Development Through Play, Improv & Experiential Learning

What does planning your week around a McDonald’s lunch date with your daughter have to do with top leadership qualities?

More than you think. And Erin’s dad, Fred Holbrook, is here to tell the tale.

Fred worked in accounting, operations management, and owned his own appliance services business. He’s now retired—but does consulting on the side—and loves being a grandpa.

Erin and Fred discuss:

• How being the parent of a strong-willed child (Erin, lol) helped him become a better leader
• How to balance being a leader and a parent
• Why negative feedback is just as essential as positive feedback & how to give it gracefully

Fred shares the top three leadership lessons he’s learned from parenting a strong-willed child and how you can apply them today.

If you’re a working parent or you know a working parent – this is the episode for you.

Special sprinkles on top of this episode:

• Erin’s not-so-hot grades freshman year of college
• What it means to set parameters for your team

Does parenting have anything to do with leadership?

Parents are the first people children interact with, which is why they play such an important role in the development of an individual's leadership skills. For many of my clients, if they're facing a particular challenge when it comes to leadership, I can trace it back to a parenting style they experienced as a kid.

-Christine Laperriere

What leaders can learn from kids?

If you observe kids closely, you will notice that they can teach us a lot about leadership.

1. Thirst for knowledge.

2. Every day is a new one.

3. Being creative and innovative.

4. Collaboration.

5. Persistence but with adaptability and resilience.

6. Get moving.

-plopdo.com

If you liked this episode, you can keep the party going with:

• Episode 113: 5 Easy Time Management Hacks: My Weekly Schedule Breakdown as Full-Time Leader, Facilitator, Content Creator and Working Mom

Show Links:

• Purchase Erin’s book, I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy.
• Get our free Book Club timeline and checklist here.
• Did today’s episode resonate with you? Please leave us a 5-star review and drop us any Qs you want answered in upcoming episodes.
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Connect with Fred Holbrook:

• Email [e-mail] and Erin will get you in touch with him!

Connect with Erin Diehl:

• Erin’s Instagram
• Erin’s LinkedIn
• Erin’s website
• improve it!’s Instagram
• improve it!’s website