5 Similarities Between Leadership And Parenting

By: Brent Gleeson , CONTRIBUTOR FOR FORBES

This article was co-authored with Dyan Crace.

It’s no secret that parenting is difficult. As a combat veteran, I’ve even sometimes wondered which is harder; war or raising children? So is managing a team just as hard? Granted, children need more attention and supervision than adults (most of the time), but the similarities between managing and parenting are interesting. Management isn’t for everyone, just like being a parent doesn’t suit us all.

Managing people can be as challenging as it is rewarding, and it is similar to parenting in that both need to guide, teach, encourage, discipline, compliment and provide the atmosphere needed for their team or family members to be successful. Here are the top 5 similarities:

1. Discipline

Whether you are in the work place or at home with your family, it is important to follow through on the expectations and rules you have set. Inevitably, one of your children is going to talk back or misbehave.  The same thing goes for the workplace. Just as children like to push their parents’ boundaries to see what they can get away with, some employees demonstrate the same type of behavior. This is why enforcing the rules, regulations and procedures that have been put in place is so important. Allowing a child or employee to walk all over you will not create an environment of mutual respect and will make each individual less productive. Nor is this type of management fair to those who consistently follow the rules.