How to Raise the Next Generation
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” – Bill Gates
The effect that COVID-19 will have on our world will be monumental — some say life as we know it will never be the same. The patterns and rituals we once had will undoubtedly change. Granted, we will likely continue shaking hands and using doorknobs, but more personal space and wearing face masks (and even gloves?) will be the new norm.
Our constantly changing (and ever more polarized) environment highlights the need for people who are adaptable, collaborative, and kind. It is essential that we develop in our coming generation the skills necessary to be GOOD people.
When my professor Allison Kluger told us that Esther Wojcicki would be a guest speaker in our class, I was beyond excited. Mother of Susan, Anne, and Janet Wojcicki, three incredibly successful women, Esther is an educator at Palo Alto High School, a journalist, and the author of the book “How to Raise Successful People”. The session was a refreshing discussion on what we can do as parents and leaders in the workplace and the home to help develop others, whether it is people we manage, mentees, or most importantly, our kids.
The book’s 5 essential points as the strategy to develop others, dubbed T.R.I.C.K., are Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, Kindness. I’d like to highlight 3 of them in particular which I believe are of particularly relevant for today:
TRUST (Esther considers this the most important one!)
- Trusting others empowers them, enabling them to take risks and act independently
- To build a trusting relationship with others, you need to be honest, humble, and follow through on your mistakes — Never rule by simple authority (e.g. “because I am the parent”).
- Esther mentioned that she allowed her girls to make their own breakfasts as kids, demonstrating to them that even as young children, their ideas were welcome, increasing their self-confidence and adaptability
COLLABORATION
- Embrace diversity and transparency — foster openness between the group and encourage new ideas
- Build community and positive relationships by giving people the time to know each other. It will further create a sense of community.
- This is particularly important today — we are increasingly more isolated, glued to our phones, doing everything via quick and impersonal messages. If we educate people to be able to work successfully with others, we will be setting them up for success.
KINDNESS
- Smile. Be generous with your time, familiarize yourself with others’ lives outside of work, their families, and be humble.
- Never embarrass someone — Feedback must be done in private, but in conjunction with caring.
- Being kind is so simple, yet we often forget to take an extra second to show we care. In even the smallest ways, showing others we care about them can have lasting impacts on them, but also on how we are viewed by others.
As my wife and I often discuss how we would like to raise our (eventual) kids, the session with Esther brought insight into ways to do so effectively. Her method is simple and applicable in a great number of settings outside of the home. To raise the coming generation successfully, we must look at Esther’s TRICK.
