Leading Kids: Is Empathy or Compassion Better?

Sometimes, when we face hard times or lose something important, we might feel like it defines or limits us. But most people don’t know that there are three ways to respond to these challenges. First, we can let them define us, making us sad or lose our motivation. Second, we can let them confine us, where we feel stuck and […]

Are we, as adults, overly fixated on our children’s happiness and success? Research suggests that our obsession with these goals might be leading to unintended consequences. We need to reconsider our parenting or leadership priorities and strive to create environments that nurture not only achievement but also empathy, connection, and fulfillment. In this episode, Tim and Andrew explore the findings […]

We live in a world that has constant concerns about artificial intelligence, gun violence’s impact on mental health, and gender disparities in schools. By understanding these issues and taking action, we can create better learning environments for students. We have curated recent findings from the Pew Research Center, Gallup, the CDC, and other sources to give our listeners a big-picture […]

These days, we are reading about school decisions regarding smartphone use, ranging from banning portable devices to displaying laissez-faire attitudes regarding phones. Many educators and support staff feel that students’ constant access to social media on their smartphones harms their mental well-being and hinders their ability to learn. Some educators go so far as to say that students are addicted […]

When empathy grows into compassion, it becomes more helpful for both you and the person for whom you demonstrate it. Empathy feels good to give, but you may feel someone’s pain so deeply that you’re not even able to act. Compassion allows you to practice metacognition and rise above the pain so you can treat the need. In this episode, […]

Every teacher, school administrator, coach, youth leader, and parent we know wants to help their kids prepare for the life that awaits them as adults. We want them to be ready to embark on a career after graduation with a sense of self-assured confidence, to see the big picture, and to bet on themselves as they enter job interviews. Believe […]

Leadership across generations is hard, but we believe success in cross-generational leadership begins with listening and empathy. That’s what we want to do in our everyday lives. Today, we have a very special episode for our listeners. Joining Tim and Andrew is Growing Leaders’ Research Coordinator Cam Turner! Cam is a brilliant leader, and he is also a member of […]

Today, as we all know, it’s easy to hide behind a screen and post something that seems courageous, but leaders realize we can and must do better. **I now believe you can’t be a good leader without courage**. Peter Drucker once said, “When you see a successful organization, you know that someone at some time made a courageous decision.” Our […]

Many educators and youth leaders struggle to motivate kids or to keep them engaged for any period of time. It’s worth periodically reminding yourself: that students, particularly those who may misbehave often, face struggles when they’re not in the classroom. Because of that, students should always be given a second chance to get their behavior in check. When we don’t […]

Most people view happiness as a positive emotion. Without thinking, we may say, “I wish I were happy all the time!” However negative emotions play a useful role in our lives. Happiness is not the goal and unhappiness is not the enemy. In this episode, Tim and Andrew discuss their top books of 2023 and stop to highlight the insightful […]