#17. Put them before you. For imitators are all around you.

Children are the best imitators you can ever witness. So as facilitators, we must be all the more careful with respect to our practices, words and actions. In an earlier post, I had talked about growth mindset and how important it is for a facilitator to develop a positive frame of mind. There is a subtle difference in what I’m going to say here. While it is great to have a positive mindset, facilitators should demonstrate in action what they want their children to be and to do. Your learners are in many ways a mere reflection of yourself. If you want them to follow ground rules, you must follow them consistently yourself. If you use harsh language before them, they will also do the same with their peers and parents. But if you use kind words, they are more likely to use kind words as well.

Here is a beautiful excerpt from Simply Fly, the autobiography of Captain Gopinath that really nails the point:

“If you want to earn the respect of your men, you have to be professionally better than them. You have to work harder than them. You have to stretch yourself more than them. Do not spare your men but more importantly do not spare yourself. If you ask them to work for six hours, you must work eight hours. If you tell them to go without food, you must go without food and water. Whatever you do, you must put them before you. Putting them before you will always show you the way. Whether you are in the army or civilian life, putting your men before you — will always lead the way for you.”

Just do it, the right way.