6 unexpected lessons my children taught me about being a leader

6 unexpected lessons my children taught me about being a leader6 unexpected lessons my children taught me about being a leaderOn International Womens Day, ur team atThirdLovespent time talking about the women we admire. We heard about moms, grandmas, sisters, wives, and best friends.I chose my daughter, Sloane.Sloane is four and a half years old, and shes been doing something lately that really makes me proud. Whenever I take her somewhere, and she sees a woman (only a woman, interestingly) working at a certain job - pilot, krpermassage therapist, Lyft driver - she immediately decides thats what she wants to do.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAfter she saw a female dentist, she spent the next three days saying she wanted to be a teeth cleaner.In her mind, she can do anything. And thats so incredible to see. I get to watch her jump from job to job without ever thinking theres s omething she cant do.From me, I hope she learns that she canbe a founderand a leader. But truthfully, both my kids have taught me a lot more about leadership than they probably realize.Heres what Ive learned from them1. Every day is a new dayOne of our company mottos actually is, Every day is a new day. Thats the mentality we want our team to have.Kids live and breathe that motto.To them, its not even day to day. Every hour- every minute- is new. Kids live in the moment, and they have an amazing ability to take a situation, reframe it, and move on.Thats a mindset you have to strive for as a leader. You cant be too focused on the past or the future. You have to come into work each day and treat the present like its the only thing that matters.2. Put passion and energy into everything you do.Young children are so enthusiastic about whatever it is theyre doing. Theyre just so happy to be alive, to be active and enjoying the world around them.So often we think of our daily life as a gri nd, a routine that we have to put ourselves through over and over. But my kids remind me to get excited about the opportunities that come each day.Seeing the way they approach each day and each activity is a good hint to stay dedicated and passionate about my own work.3. If you set your mind to something, you can do it.Part of being a selfless leader is following through. If you say youll make something happen, you do. No matter what.Kids are incredible at taking on challenges when they put their minds to it. When my daughter welches about two-and-a-half years old, she became obsessed with the monkey bars. I noticed her intently watching the kids playing on them, focusing on their movements.After a while, she just figured it out. She tried it again and again- and at three years old she could do the whole set of monkey bars.There are very few things in life you cant do if you work hard and stay focused on your goal. Its all about how much research you do, how much effort you put in, and how dedicated you are to making something happen.4. Be thoughtful about your relationshipsI was more selfish before I had kids. Many people are. You dont realize how much you focus on yourself until you have someone who depends on you for absolutely everything.My children have taught me to be more thoughtful about my relationships and more sensitive to what people at my company need at any moment in time. Life is full of ups and downs. Maybe someone is going through a divorce. Maybe theyre taking care of a sick parent.Whatever the case, a real leader makes sure people have time to take care of personal needs and be present for the moments that truly matter.5. Efficiency is a necessityKids take up nearly all of your free time. And because you have less time for yourself, youre forced to operate more efficiently. There are certain things you just dont have time to contemplate anymore.As a founder, thats actually helped me in some ways. I used to spend days focused on certain issue s. But now, I make a decision and move on. I dont have time to ruminate over all the potential downsides or pitfalls.Becoming fixated on one problem for too long can actually be detrimental for a leader. Even if you make a mistake, you have to move on quickly.6. Learn to adapt and stay resilientThe way kids adapt to new situations is amazing.You know what I mean if youve ever dropped off a child for their first day of preschool. They almost always cry. Your care has been the only world theyve ever known. And now theyre being dropped off in a foreign environment with teachers and other kids they dont know. Its a nightmare.But by the next morning, or a few days later, theyre excited to go back. All it takes is a day or two for them to adapt to the environment and get over their fear.Adults arent as good at that. As we get older, we become set in our ways. And we arent as resilient when were thrown into a new situation. But leaders have torise to challengesand adapt to new circumstance s. They have to be a little more like children on the second day of preschool, ready to meet new people and take on the monkey bars.This article originally appeared on Quora.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people