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- May 26th, 12:53
I find a good deal of wisdom in the insights that Maria Montessori gained during her time on Earth through the work she did with special needs children first, then in general education. I once told my wise and compassionate friends John and Kim that “everything I learned about leadership I learned from my kids.” OK, maybe not everything, but the statement still holds water.
These are two of my favorite Maria Montessori quotes. I think I’ve shared each before in one venue or another, but I think they look particularly brilliant together. At least that’s what I think.
“The teacher, when she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be.”
–Maria Montessori, “The Absorbent Mind”
“As soon as independence has been reached, the adult who keeps on helping becomes an obstacle.”
–Maria Montessori, “The Absorbent Mind”
I think both apply to leadership, too, with a few minor word substitutions.
At some point, every adult must allow the relationship with a child to evolve into a relationship between adults. This is true of leadership, too. As long as the leader maintains a parent-child relationship with those they lead, the full potential of the individual will never be revealed. The leader, in that case, becomes the obstacle.
Illuminate Possibilities 