Sometimes I wonder: does becoming a parent make you a better manager?
I am quite late to this parenting thing, and seriously, this is the hardest job I have ever had.
I consider myself a reasonable, logical and educated person with a decent career track record, but as a parent, I feel like a loser on a daily basis.
BUT, since having kids, I’ve also gained perspective and have become more patient.
You have to work with what you’ve got and coach your kids to success. You have to show up confidently and calmly as their leader every day no matter how shitty you feel. You have to constantly look for the good in your kids and bring out the best in them … and your sense of humor becomes your #1 survival skill.
Parenting also forces you to become more efficient. You prioritize ruthlessly, asking yourself things like: what is REALLY important for me to do when working overtime is not an option? If I’m juggling 10 balls, and at some point I’ve got to drop a few, which ones are glass and which are plastic?
Sounds a lot like the traits of a good manager, right?
I don’t really know if parenting makes you a better manager. Maybe it just makes you more delusional from lack of sleep. Who knows. But one thing is for sure, since having kids, I have become a much better negotiator.
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