I am writing this article from 35,000 feet, onboard Air Canada flight 933. I’m heading home after a very successful trip to Mexico. In the past 4 days, I have met with over 1000 Mexican Network Marketing Professionals. It was an incredible experience. I think that anyone who is serious about truly understanding the heart of Network Marketing needs to spend some time in Mexico learning from those people. While I was in Mexico, I recorded a 10 video training on how to build your own Network Marketing business. I am sure that ANYONE could follow these tips and create an organization. If you want to watch those lessons, you can find them at http://www.youtube.com/kendunnmlm or in the FREE training room at http://www.secretsofsimplicity.com.
I could tell you many things about what I experienced in Mexico over the past couple of days, but I have a much more serious issue on my mind as I sit here. Over the past 6 years I have dedicated my life to learning to become a better Leader. I have read hundreds of books, attended dozens of seminars, I have learn to lead from the masters of Leadership such as John C Maxwell, Keith Craft, Jim Rohn, Mahatma Gandi, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs and more. But I learned the most important Leadership in my life to date while in Mexico.
While at the Mexican Network Marketing Convention, I had the pleasure to hang out with 2 young Leaders from Monterrey, Juan & Mauricio Garza. I first met Juan & Mauricio in Dallas about 4 months ago and was instantly impressed by how mature they were, how refined in the ability to communicate. At the young age of 21 & 22, these men are fluent in English & Spanish. As well, the have a basic ability to communicate in German, Norwegian & 4 others languages.
Between Dallas and my time in Mexico city with them, I also had a chance to watch them interact with other people, sometimes people twice their age. I was amazed by the ability to interact with people, to communicate, to build relationships. These men, worked the room with the skill of a trained politician, while empowering people and touching the hearts of the folks they met, with the same karisma and humility that I would have imagined had I actually had a chance to meet my idols, Mahatma Gandi & Mother Teresa.
As I worked on my friendship with these chaps, I couldn’t help but wonder, Where they went to school?, who were there tutors?, they must have come from money to be that poised?, How could 2 men so young be so incredible?
After the convention, I was scheduled to travel to Monterrey, Mexico to do a meeting and a training with the Garzas. I have never been to Monterrey, so you can imagine my excitement. I love to travel and see new sights. But for the first time, I was not excited about seeing the city, I now had my police detectives hat on!!!!! I was going to conduct an investigation and find how they found leadership so early in their lives.
At home in Canada, I have been blessed with the most incredible family. My wife Julie is beautiful, humble, intelligent, caring, patient and passionate and my 2 children, Matthew & Laura are 2 of the most amazing young people I have ever met (yeah I’m biased). They are beautiful young leaders, who have a zest for exploration and love. (they get it all from Julie)
My desire to become a better leader over the past years has created a huge yearning to inside of me to make sure that my children recognize the leadership potential within them as early as possible. Lord knows, if I had have found the love for Leadership in my teenage years, I would be much further on today. Now don’t get me wrong, my kids have got it going on: they are both well on their way to second languages at their age, they are both excelling academically, they are both incredible athletes. I just had this incredible feeling that my trip there was going to reveal for me a secret to raising my own children.
Having spent 15 years in Investigative Policing, I have seen the best and worst of parenting. I have also realized that less then 1% of parents actually think about putting together a leadership plan for their children and far less than that actually do anything proactively to teach leadership to their kids. Parents who teach leadership to their children are failing in the roles are parents. Think about your own life for a second…..
Did you do anything in the young years of your children to teach them leaderdship? Or, like the way that I was raised, have you been just trying to get by, so confused and stressed out by life that you don’t even realize that you have a responsibility to do that?
Imagine how much better the world would be if all of us parents would start instilling good leadership teaching, pouring true leadership lessons into our children in the pre-teen years.. Wow!!!! Crime rates would be lower, poverty would be lower, the burden on our social assistance system would be lower, childhood pregnancies would be lower. It would truly “ heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race “.
Now I know that some of you are already crying as you read this, as I am, because you are realizing that you have not done enough for your children’s leadership development and it could be very dangerous. Let’s follow the end of this story, there is a great ending and an awesome plan that you can follow for the sake of your kids.
We had an amazing day together in Monterrey. We had over 100 people at our meeting and we did a great training. I was very humbled to learn that the Garza’s had invited me to stay in their home rather then the customary hotel rooms that I frequently visit.
Success Leaves Clues
After the meeting was over, we decided to sneek away for a private dinner with Dr & Mrs Garza, Juan and Mauricio. It was one of the best dinners that I have had in a long time. Dr Garza, Mrs Garza, Juan, Mauricio & I talked about Leadership for about 3 hours. We agreed that the world could only be made better if we all committed to becoming better leaders. Dr Garza & I realized a common love for reading Leadership books. We talked about many of our favorite books. Then the first discovery was made: Juan & Mauricio told me that they have been reading Leadership books since the young age of 15. They have read hundreds of titles by some of the worlds best leadership authors, like Og Mandino, John C Maxwell, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy. Then the boys turned to me and told me that Dr Garza has been encouraging them to read leadership books for years and creating incentives in their lives for the successful completion of these books. I should have known…..
Next our conversation drifted into physical fitness. Dr Garza, in spite of his 36 years practicing in medicine, looked ½ his age. I asked what as the key to his youthful appearance and he said (discovery #2) everything in his life is in moderation and he takes daily exercise. Well you can already imagine the next part, Juan & Mauricio chimed in and said that they exercise everyday (Juan loves to jog up the side of mountains and Mauricio loves to weight train) and of course, they eat and live life in moderation.
You cant imagine how excited I am getting by this point, I am being given a road map for teaching children to be leaders!!!!!!!! Throughout the remainder of the nights, I found 2 more points that round out the secrets: Dr Garza insists on bringing his kids up in a faith based environment, explaining that people need as much help as they can get & Dr Garza, Juan & Mauricio have an incredible respect and appreciation for Mrs Garza. It is not just words: I saw it!
As I finished the night in the guest room of the family home, I meditated on the lessons that I had learned throughout the day. This experience showed me where I was doing the right things with my kids and where I needed to improve. I cried as I wrote notes on my experience at 2 am in a small bedroom in San Pedro Monterrey. I feel so confident now about my ability to create the right leadership environment for my children.
If you take a second to think about your own life and your children and search your heart with the following questions: have you truly created a real plan to help your children through their lives?, have you set the right example?, are you honoring your spouse and instilling that value in your kids? Are you taking daily exercise, let alone getting your kids to?, are you living a life of intentional moderation? If you like 99% of the population then the answer is no!!!! Its okay to cry, it cleans the heart!!!!
Thank you Dr & Mrs Garza, Juan & Mauricio for teaching me how to teach my children to discover the leaders within them.
Well, there’s the seatbelt sign. Great timing!!!!!
Key points to creating a leadership environment for your children.
1. Read leadership books yourself and create incentives for your children (John C Maxwell was paid allowance for reading books, look where that got him)
2. Take 20 minutes daily to get your heart pumping and get exercise. Get your kids on the same track.
3. Work on living a moderate life (less food, less excitement, less hype, less anger, less stress) and let your kids live that moderate life with you
4. Introduce faith (be it Christianity or otherwise) so that your kids can be around the right people and learn the right lessons; and
5. Cherish and honor your spouse and let your kids see that example.
Important books to read that are very relevant to this article:
Raising children for True Greatness ~ Dr Tim Kimmel
Becoming a Better You ~ Joel Osteen
The Ultimate Life ~ Jim Stovall
The Leader without a Title ~ Robin Sharma
About Ken Dunn
Ken began his professional career in investigative policing and developed a very dark and jaded personality through dealing with the world’s garbage. In his early 30’s, Ken turned his time to opening businesses, trying to create the financial freedom that had eluded him. Ken joined the Direct Selling Profession in November of 2003 and has traveled the world, teaching people the secrets to success in the Direct Selling Industry. Having had to confront his own leadership shortcomings in 2004, Ken dedicated his life to studying the Leadership Craft and considers himself a consummate student. In the past 8 years, Ken has shared the leadership stages with some of the worlds great Leadership Educators Such as Jim Rohn, John C Maxwell, Steven Scott, Phil Cooke & Keith Craft.
In Jan of 2010, Ken & his business partner founded a new movement in leadership education and direct sales called EvolvLife Productions, which provides the platform for leadership education for a team of direct sellers known as EvolvLife Team.
Ken’s core philosophy is that: Leadership is not taught, it is learn. The teachings are simply the stories and experiences of the world’s greatest leadership students. Leadership is the subject matter that you will never stop learning.
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Wow Ken, I have been trying to read this post all day… started it at noon and just sat back down to really dig in. We have 4 kids and REALLY appreciate your insights and experience. Thanks!
Hi Ken,
Thank you for your profound insights into the psyche of children and how to teach your children leadership skills by example. Many children in school are taught to be conformists, to become followers, not leaders. They are told to do as they are told and not to think for themselves. I think our education system is desperately in need of reform. I think in the long run our children would be far better off, they would think independently and not be afraid of any of life’s challenges. They would approach life with zest and exhileration and cherich every moment.
As parents, I agree, Ken, we need to do more to inspire and teach and motivate our children to become great leaders through spirituality, trainings, leading by example, and by sharing love.