Leadership Quote - ?

Created by Erin Morey

An adage that is attributed to many places, the Bible, Chinese Proverb, or perhaps a lady named Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie, but the truth will continue to be accurate for as long as people are human. This particular quote is holding a little bit of literal truth as well as figurative, as the family prepares for a few camping trips in the coming weeks and my oldest son has found a joy in fishing (pictured).

In previous posts, I've written about the need to train your people, as you cannot only rely on the superstars but also need to build up others (Morey's Law 16: If You Complete More Than Your Fair Share of Work...). When you do the work for your people, the job may get done, but the person doesn't learn anything. When you train them, it may take longer initially, but they will learn more and take more work off your plate in the long run.

In parenting, it is the same thing. Are you teaching your child or doing the work for them? One of our favorite activities every year with the kids is the Pinewood Derby. Each year we give the kids more to do with the cars, with our hands on the piece of wood for the more difficult actions, but under supervision, only for the things we know they can handle. We are teaching them self-confidence and some minor woodworking, as well as problem-solving. In fact, this quote folds well for one shared a couple of weeks ago from Richard Branson (with my other son):

So are you giving fish, or teaching to fish for your team?