How to Raise Successful People

We’ll do anything to prevent our children from struggling or suffering, which means that they never have to deal with hardships or adversity. As a result, they lack independence and grit, and they’re fearful of the world around them instead of empowered to innovate and create. Another big mistake:

Remember, kids watch us for a living. What kind of lessons are you teaching through your actions?

It is a common problem. The kids are not grateful for anything because they just expect all. They want more. It happens even in low-income families.

Their business model was about hiring the smartest and best people they could find and then trusting them to do the job.

I’d have them write me an apology and reflect on how they could improve (I guess I’m in good company, because Ruth Bader Ginsburg reportedly assigned essays when her children misbehaved).

Employees were given 20 percent of their time to work on individual projects that in some way related to Google’s goals.

TRUST: We are in a crisis of trust the world over. Parents are afraid, and that makes our children afraid—to be who they are, to take risks, to stand up against injustice. Trust has to start with us. When we’re confident in the choices we make as parents, we can then trust our children to take important and necessary steps toward empowerment and in

What I try to do with everyone—students, student teachers, my daughters, and grandchildren—is respect them so that they can respect themselves. Amazing things happen when you have self-respect. Self-respect gives you the confidence to take risks and become independent. Without self-respect, you’re afraid. You’re obsessed with what other people thin

what everyone wants to know is how to help our children live good lives—to be both happy and successful, to use their talents to make the world a better place.

I’m inspired by all of these people, perhaps because I see a hint of my own journey in theirs. As my daughter Anne says, I’m a believer. I had a real fighter mentality growing up. A lot of bad things happened in my life, but I taught my daughters that you can either let them control you, or you can make the rest of your life great.