For a couple of months now, I have been talking with my 6 year old about the plans I have for the Center For Leadership and Growth (CLG).  He was very excited to hear that part of CLG’s mission was to teach leadership to the next generation.

As I am describing it to him, I could see his creative mind started turning and connecting some dots.  The next thing you know he was casting a vision of him teaching alongside me.  “Dad, dad, can I be the teacher?”, he said.  Absolutely!, I replied.  Great leaders make more leaders!

Then he started describing what the “classroom” would look like… Oh boy! Lets just say that I am excited to see how he connects dinosaurs with leadership teachings.

Saturday morning, my son stumbled upon a book in my office and read the word leadership in the title. “Dad!  I found the leadership book for our school! (CLG)”, he yells (we are still working on voice levels).

As I walk into my office, I see him holding my Bible.  WOW.  The Bible I use is The Maxwell Leadership Bible, a NIV version of the Bible that has additional leadership teachings from John Maxwell.  I love it.

Son, you are absolutely right, I said.  That is the greatest leadership book every written.

His eyes opened and immediately he wanted me to teach him “leadership”.  I was beyond happy.

Now, teaching leadership to a six year old is much different that teaching to an adult. As you can imagine, it could be very challenging to ensure they “got it”.

The Bible has great stories that make it easier to breakdown the concepts and the lesson I taught my son was the lesson from the ant (Proverbs: 6-8).

It says:  “Be like the ant; consider its ways and be wise!.  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet its stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest”.

Let me share the lesson that I taught my son:

• An ant has an attitude of Initiative – Ants don’t need a commander (or mom and dad) to tell them what to do.
• Ants have a nature of Integrity – Ants work with faith and they don’t need outside accountability to ensure they do the right thing. (doing the right thing even when nobody is looking)
• Ants are Hard Workers – They work very hard and if someone destroys their anthill, they will replace it somewhere else.
• Ants have Insight – They store food in the summer.

What a great leadership lesson, right!

It is amazing that such a small creature can teach us these crucial lessons.

After the lesson, my son wanted to teach it to Mom… and he did a great job.

Needless to say that I was very proud of him.

Sunday came around and he selectively forgot about having an attitude of initiative.  Picking up his toys without mom or dad telling him apparently did not apply.

Oh, the joys of parenthood.

You win some, you loose some…. but we never stop trying!

To your success,

Jose

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My son didn’t put the Bible down!