Well, summer’s over and it’s time to go back to school. It seems like the right time to re-run this entry (from a couple of years ago) on what we, as leaders, could learn from our teenagers.
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I know that we were supposed to have learned everything we needed to know in Kindergarten. It’s hard to argue with sharing, saying “thank you” and playing nice.

However, from a leadership point of view, I think we need to look a little farther down the road. I know teenagers may seem like an unlikely source of business wisdom. However, if you pay attention, their messages are right on. More importantly, they are simple and to the point:

• So what?
• Yeah Mom, I’ll do it later
• No way—I’m not doing that!
• Are we there yet?
• How will I ever use this when I grow up?
• You just don’t know what it’s like for kids today
• Is that it?

Try to bring a little more of that “inner” teenager to work with you. Just leave the iPod at home.

So what?
Great leaders create meaning and purpose for their people. Don’t just bark out orders. Help people understand the big picture. People will rally around purpose more than they will a task.

Yeah Mom, I’ll do it later
You can’t do everything. Some things matter more than others. Keep the 80/20 rule in mind. Eighty percent of the value you create comes from twenty percent of your effort. Prioritize your work to ensure that you are doing the most important things for yourself and for your organization. Put off those things that are not critical to the organization’s success.

No way – I’m not doing that
Learn to say ‘no’ and mean it. Protect your time, and more importantly, your team’s time. Keep the administrative and busy work to a minimum if you can’t eliminate it entirely.

Are we there yet?
Teenagers don’t care about the plane trip, they just want to get to the beach. Your boss and customers are similar. They don’t care about all the stuff you “do”, it is what you accomplish that gets noticed. Stay focused on results–don’t just get caught up in activity.

How will I ever use this when I grow up?
Your people’s time is valuable. It might be nice for them to learn your company’s history during orientation, but it probably won’t help them do their job better. Understand what is keeping your people from performing and focus on that. Keep the “interesting” stuff to a minimum and make it available off-line–if they want to read it.

You don’t know what it’s like for kids today
What motivates you might not motivate others. Their goals are probably not the same as yours. Treat each person as individual. Talk to your people directly. Don’t rely on your managers and supervisors to give you the scoop. And, don’t let the employee survey be your main source of input from your team. Get to know them yourself.  The same holds  true for your customers.

Is that it?
Your kids want complete solutions. They want the latest smart phone, the apps, the downloads, the leather carrying case, the skins, and the rapid-charger. Give them just one and they’ll look at you like your nuts.  Your business needs complete solutions too. If a problem is worth solving, it’s worth solving completely. Don’t cut corners or skimp. It is better to have one problem fully solved than five problems partially solved. The partial solutions often breed new problems of their own.

Following the wisdom of a teenager can greatly improve your communication, team effectiveness, and overall impact. Of course, there are probably a few things that your teenagers can learn from you too.