A great leader in the home is someone who can make the right decisions that will benefit the greater good. This person can manage the family finances responsibly. This leader also takes time for everyone and puts the family first.
Because having the support and guidance from another person that is entwined into our lives helps to keep us focused on the true priorities in our lives. Having someone to guide our goals and dreams and stand behind us will create the mental outlook of success. To change your life you can’t do it alone and its helpful to have someone else’s opinion and viewpoint.
This blog article is a branch out to life-optimizing readers like yourself that were kind enough to do a little question and answer interview survey with me. I’m still working on my interview skills (and some of these were done via email/not-in-person!), but I do promise good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech (which doesn’t happen often).
Topic of Interest: Real Leadership at Home
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!)
‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
R: Give an example of real leadership in the home that has inspired you (from either internet/mainstream media examples or personal examples).
I: I was raised in a home run by a single mother. My mother came from a third-world country background, and she took ownership of her life and worked harder than anyone I know to become successful and to deliver a good life for my family and I. To do this she had to take on a leadership role, she had to work to support her mother and father (my grandparents), and she became successful in her academics and career. This has inspired me to also do well in school, as I was able to graduate magna cum laude and receive a very high-paying salary out of college.
R: How do you think a better understanding of real leadership in the home would help other people in their personal or professional life?
I: Leadership is universal. It can be used anywhere. If you have leadership in the home, one would assume, he is always a leader. It doesn’t matter where a leader is, if the leader is a leader, then he will lead. Notice, I did not say she. A leader in the kitchen is different from a leader in the home.
R: Give an example of how real leadership in the home has helped you professionally or personally.
I: Growing up in a home without a father figure I watched my mom do everything. She was a great leader. She cooked, cleaned, taught us how to be clean and more importantly she taught us to be strong. It helped me a lot because not everything goes your way in life.
R: Describe at least one way you think real leadership in the home could cause trouble or hurt someone in their personal or professional life.
I: One way real leadership in the home could cause trouble is if your leadership traits clash with someone else’s. Two people with prime leadership traits that disagree could be an extreme problem. It could become an even greater problem in their professional life because business decisions could either make or break a company.
R: Give an example of how real leadership in the home has hurt you or caused you trouble in the past.
I: I have been a leader in my home because I’m in charge of the rent. I have to be able to collect the rent from my roommate, and if he doesn’t have it then I have to take care of getting him to pay up. It’s a stressful position to be in because everything is my problem. I don’t think anyone else in my home has to worry as much because if they don’t want to pay they can just leave if they wanted to and stick me with the bills. This has happened more than once in the past, so I’m prepared for it at all times.
R: How do you think real leadership in the home could help you in a professional setting? Why is that?
I: How I wish I had someone in my life who I considered a leader. Instead, the man who is my husband is an alcoholic, and has caused endless trouble, including losing jobs, losing our home, losing our pets, and having to sell just about everything we have ever owned. I do not even own the proper clothing to go to a job interview. If I felt secure about my home life, and admired the man I was married to, perhaps I would have a great deal more support, and have the confidence and wardrobe to do well at a job outside of the home.
R: Give an example of how real leadership in the home could be useful at work. Why do you think this?
I: Real leadership in the home could be useful at work because leadership is something that is highly rewarded in the work force. Developing leadership qualities at home allows an individual to have a developed skill set that is quickly applicable to work in almost any field. I believe that leadership is important in most fields because there are a plethora of followers, but only a few people who stand out as leaders.
R: How do you think real leadership could help you at home? Why is that?
I: It can help you lead your family to be good people. Maybe your son or daughter is having a tough time with something; you could guide them in the correct direction. Or you need to motivate someone at home to do something, being a good leader would definitely help this.
R: Give an example of how real leadership could be useful at home or in family life. Why do you think this?
I: Being in a position of authority will give you experience with all the stress that comes with it. When this stress reappears in the family, you have an idea of what to do or at least a protocol to go through. This protocol can be how to approach the matter or what to do when they are arguing.
R: How do you think real leadership in the home could help you in a personal relationship? Why is that?
I: A person living by themselves does need a leader, because they are their own leader. However, when multiple people live in a single household it is important to have a leader to distribute duties. Nobody wants to take out the garbage, but a respected leader can devise a system so that the garbage gets taken out.
R: Give an example of how real leadership in the home could be useful in a personal relationship. Why do you think this?
I: I would say leadership is all about giving good examples. If good examples are given other people in the household will pick it us. Essentially efficient behaviors will be picked up and mimicked and the dynamics within the household will be harmonious. It’s as if the acts themselves are alive and are trying to reproduce through example.
R: Describe at least one thing you would like to learn more about real leadership in the home.
I: How does one maintain dominance when trying to keep a household moving in a direction? I often times have trouble with the broader goal; keeping these goals focused and in the sights of those in my household. How do I discourage passive aggressive behavior in the household? I hate this behavior, but it is hard to fight without encouraging more behavior like this.
R: Give your number one piece of advice for someone looking to learn more about real leadership in the home.
I: Not only think about yourself, but also think about others in the household. Command respect and also be able to be emphatic towards others in the household. Be open to be able to expand on ideas and thoughts, and not just be narrow-minded on your ideas. You will never succeed or be respected as a leader if you follow your own ideas without listening and embrace the others in the home.
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How was that for a nice little journey into this topic? I hope you enjoyed this interview and found at least one useful bit of information you can immediately begin to apply in your life. Yes, homework is never seen as a nice word, but it’s useful – give yourself an action to use at least 1 thing from this article to help change your life.
Please share your thoughts, experiences, or your own interview answers and let’s share some real life wisdom, okay?