Coach Tom Landry Sums up the Struggle of Raising a Hard Headed Child
Raising the proverbial “hard headed” child is a challenge that will frustrate even the most patient of parents. Moreover, this frustration compounds when the child has more potential in their pinky than the average person, yet refuses to do what it takes to realize that potential.
Without doubt, if this kid would listen just 10% of the time the world would be their oyster. Instead, it seems they would rather drive their parents nuts with frustration.
What is a parent to do?
If I could provide you with a 500-word essay breaking down the fundamentals of getting a hard headed kid to listen, I would. However, overcoming the challenge of a stubborn child oozing with untapped potential is not that simple. It’s a multi-step process that starts with a parent’s leadership style.
Hall of fame football coach Tom Landry sums up this leadership style perfectly in one of his famous quotes.
Leadership is getting someone to do what they don’t want to do, to achieve what they want to achieve.
Putting this quote to practice means a parent must first understand what their child wants to achieve. If they don’t want to achieve goals related to where the parent sees their potential, then that’s the obstacle. On the other hand, if they do want to achieve goals related to their potential, but don’t want to do the work, then that’s the obstacle.
These two obstacles require completely different approaches. The former is a matter of personality, which is extremely difficult to influence. A parent is likely better off changing how they view their child’s potential than trying to change their child. The latter is a matter of mindset, which is something a parent can influence with the right mindset training process.