[April 22, 2014] Whoa, you say! How do families connect to leadership? Well, on the surface, its connection may only appear tenuous but there is a direct relationship between successful leaders and strong family life.
First, an observation … strong leaders come from strong families. Likewise, strong families produce resilient, productive citizens and capable leaders.
This is derived both from personal observations of many successful senior leaders and from academic research on the family. It certainly does not mean that strong families are without flaws or problems – in fact they have many problems, just not the type that destroys the family unit or the individual.
Is the American family in decline, as so many have said? There is a frontier dominated by academics and polemics who believe the family is in “decline.” They also say that the family is anything we self-define it to be. I disagree the family is in decline and such intellectual sloppiness deserves a contrasting view.
We know that the necessary commitment through formal, legal, marriage is a method that has historically proven itself successful. What about gay couples and polygamous families? Regardless of the type of family or its make-up, when there is strength in family values that puts priority on family members, each one supporting the other, then success will follow.
“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” – Confucius
The message is that families are the backbone of all successful societies. Loving, married adults raising children is the engine of a great nation. Those outside this ideal should be either prepared to enter into it or prepared to support it.
Great leaders come from strong families.
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