In education circles over the past few years, there’s been a movement to help teachers see themselves as leaders. You’re helping people learn, of course, but you’re also inspiring a community to be cohesive and act toward a shared future vision. That’s what leaders do!
It’s also what parents do. In their new book (out today!) Parents Who Lead, authors Stewart Friedman and Alyssa Westring show why parents should think of themselves as leaders, and how to use lessons from leadership training to create a happier and more meaningful family life. Parents learn how to envision a future, enlist all stakeholders, and take small experimental steps to get there.
Sarah and I enjoyed interviewing Friedman, professor emeritus at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, on the Best of Both Worlds podcast this week. Friedman began studying and writing about issues of work and life many decades ago. He’s long been a pioneer in the field and through his work has helped spread the message that this is not just a women’s issue. So please give the episode a listen!
In the Q&A section we discuss the sticky issue of during-the-workday PTA meetings. When do these tend to happen in your children’s schools?
(Note: We are migrating over to a different host for the podcast and I haven’t figured out how to do the player widget yet. But if you go to Apple podcasts or Stitcher you can listen to it there.)
Mercifully, our son’s elementary school only has PTA meetings in the early evenings, starting at 5:30. They also provide child care and pizza for the kids. I confess, however, that I am not an active participant in the PTA. I just do not want to spend my time that way. Instead, my spouse and I have decided to support the PTA with money rather than our time.
I’m about 1/2 way through the Friedman interview and it is excellent. Has anyone read his book yet? I’m wondering if it is more academic in nature or accessible to commoners like myself. 🙂
I used to go to PTA meetings but stopped a few years back. Our school alternates early morning meetings (i.e., right after dropoff) with evening meetings, and the evening meetings (which take place in the school library) have free childcare (typically a teenager overseeing kids coloring in the school cafeteria).
Hi Laura,
The new podcast is not showing up on Spotify. Just thought you should know. Hope I will be able to listen soon.
I LOVED today’s podcast! such a great guest with smart new ideas 🙂
I also really enjoyed this week’s podcast guest. It was nice to hear from a man who has been tackling the issue or work/life integration and doesn’t see it as women’s problem/challenge to solve. I found him super endearing – especially when he talked about not knowing how to care for a child when their first was born and how he posed the question to his MBA students.