Raising Teenagers. Great Training for Business?

Teenagers.

You know those alarming creatures.

Last night, your Little Princess went happily upstairs to her bedroom.
“Night Daddy. Love You.”

This morning?
A ranting alien – possessed with powers to tear your heart to shreds – launched themselves at you!

Pointing out what a complete out-of-touch moron you are.
Before slamming the front door (cracking the patterned glass) on the way to school.

Still reeling from a couple of such days from one of our five children…
I had said, in response to the usual greeting from a church friend… 

“Well, I’m fine David. But raising children. It’s a complicated business isn’t it?”

To which he responded,

“Raising children? Raising children?
Hmmm. I thought the whole point was that they’re here to raise us.”

He looked straight into my eyes.
Paused.
Smiled again.
Touched my arm.
And turned to continue a conversation with his wife, Evita.

I was left standing there. Speechless.
I’d never seriously considered that possibility.

The complexity, the frustrations, the tears and the roller coaster ride of parenthood.
Do they all combine to raise US?

To lift us from the self-centred being we could naturally become.
To stretch our capacity for patience, understanding, compassion.
To teach us how to love the seemingly-unlovable.

I’ve found they inevitably change us.

I think running a business – or leading a team – also does that to us.

Constantly… things will go terribly, horribly wrong.

We’ll regularly be wrong-footed, side-swiped, frustrated, knocked off balance.
People will test our patience, and make us wonder if we’re living on the right planet.

What’s really happening, of course, is that our own capacity to change and grow is being tested.

I believe we’re constantly being asked:
“Do You Understand the Lesson That You Still Need to Learn Here?”

What’s fascinating is how teenagers invariably surprise us.

A few tiny years later…
we observe the astoundingly capable, talented and wise adults (and parents) they become.

Given the chance, our team and our clients can surprise us too.

The question remains…

Was the problem really ME all the time?
And did I grow up in the process?