A couple of weeks ago I was on the roof of my house. My decision to go up there was spontaneous, as it was calculated.
I played flag capture with my daughters, and they cleverly built a small tower of grill and other tools in the backyard. Then they climbed onto it and hid the flag in the gutter. After that, they dismantled the tower and congratulated themselves, confident that I would not notice it, and if I did, I could not get to it.
They were wrong in both cases. Sneaking around with a small staircase, I walked around the house on the other side and began to climb the stairs, wondering if I would be the first guy to break his neck trying to teach his children a lesson about the importance of creative thinking in entrepreneurship. These lessons are very valuable to me because they don’t teach this at school. The school emphasizes that you must follow the rules, set a safe, reliable course and spend the rest of your life as a working professional.
Entrepreneurship starts at home. Here are three lessons that will encourage your children to start thinking like entrepreneurs. It is better to start preparing them for adulthood early.
1. Everything is negotiable
My children know they can negotiate. Everything is subject to discussion. Since they know this, it can be tiring sometimes. Like any other parent, I often want me to be able to return to being the highest authority and make them follow my orders. That would be easier.
However, this desire supplants its opposite: I want my daughters to think for themselves. The ability to see the world is not what they are told, they must be trained. Teach your children that it’s normal to question everything. And be prepared to negotiate with them.
This trend - thanks to my parents who treated me like an adult - was a huge advantage for me as an entrepreneur, because I noticed opportunities and solutions that were not available to those who were not prepared like that.
The capture of the flag lasted for three hours, because both sides were constantly thinking about ways to gain an advantage outside the established rules.
When one of us did this, we got together to come to an agreement, and then continue our new understanding. It was both tiring and amazing - to watch how my girls think beyond the limits and discuss with the group how everyone will win when we change the rules on the fly.
2. Accept the risk
I found that moving from place to place can be a pretty useful example when it comes to teaching my daughters the art of taking risks. Most of us have stood at the crossroads late at night. You are waiting for the light to change to cross the road. We were taught that you can’t go on red, but not a single car goes in any direction, and it’s completely safe to disobey the order.
More importantly: blindly obeying a rule that tells you when to go, or being aware of your surroundings and making your own decisions? I admit that this is not an “either-or” scenario. If I had to choose what to put money on, I would choose the latter each time.
This perspective is critical when you start a business. You must perform the calculation of risk and rewards in your head, and if rewards exceed risks, feel free to choose a path in which you are not sure. This path will be much better if you know the area. Look in both directions and sometimes cross the street, even when you are told not to.
3. Adults do not have all the answers.
Nothing undermines the spirit of entrepreneurship as a complete dependence on power. At its core, it is rebellious. The most successful businessmen usually begin their activity at a young age, when their courage is high, their ambitions are huge, and they have room for experimentation.
My girls love me, but they understand that I am a man. I show them my imperfection, laughing at myself and recognizing when I'm wrong. If they consider my decision unfair, I let them defend their point of view. It does not necessarily follow from this that I change my mind, but it teaches them to think that their ideas are effective.
findings
This is a valuable perspective for them. They know that their ideas are welcome, regardless of whether they choose the entrepreneurial path or not. This will allow them to become leaders and help others free themselves from social constraints. But I do not suggest that every parent go up to the roof to achieve this. It is just as easy to do when both legs are firmly on the ground.