Generational Wisdom
The primary reason to have good ties between branches of the family tree is the wisdom that is locked in with all the various CEOs of the home in the family. The extended family and the generational spread of wisdom can not be trivialized. Many families run about feeling lost because they don’t know how they fit into a bigger picture.
One example… a first generation family to a country will work tirelessly to build themselves up. They instill in their family a degree of ethics that will shape their success in a different culture. As they work together and bring in more of their family, they share their wisdom and more success is reached. By the time their children are up and in the job force, a legacy of success is in play.
When the first round of children start to have children is when we start to see how well the cross generational wisdom works. Some families pass on the wisdom and each generation that follows continues to blossom in excellence. Other families can’t manage to pass on that wisdom in a meaningful way and before long, all the first generation ethics of success fades and members are now average compared to their peers. Some may even feel lost and adrift.
This is why it’s important for CEOs of the home to work well together inside and outside of their family trees. The body of knowledge often gets split between branches of the tree. If you’re unable to connect and share wisdom, pieces get lost over time.
When there is cross-branch communication a few wonderful things start to happen.
Each person comes with their own network of connections in this world. This grows when two people get married. They join two powerful networks together. As children grow up, they bring in other people into the network. Think the connections made through play-dates, school, community, and church. Take all of these networks and the nuclear family is very strong. Stretch this across the branches of the family tree and see how much power lives inside the bigger family.
As the connections between branches and generations strengthen, the older generation feels valued as they share their wisdom with the next generation. The middle generation feels supported. The up and coming generation feels safe and secured knowing they belong to a bigger wonderful picture/team.
In moments of crisis, the safety net of a well connected family helps absorb the hardship and helps with recovery. This comes in handy within weak/soft economies. A good recommendation, a good introduction, a good tip can make the difference in a job hunt.
Of course, there is the obvious division of labor such as childcare and eventually elder care. There is exchange of tips on rituals, traditions, hobbies, learning experiences, and a whole host of other benefits.
Adoptive Expansion
As CEOs of the home share their knowledge and experience, it’s less about competing with each other and more about seeing each other prosper and win. The more you win, the more you’ve got to teach me to help me win. The more I win, the more I have to help me teach you how to win.
Fortunately, using a more positive outlook, families don’t all have to be just linked by blood lines. If that was the case, there is a lot of wonderful connections that would be lost in the branches of in-laws.
Each family is connected to another through marriage. By the way, remarriage may be a bad word for some, but it’s also a valuable expansion of the family’s network as well. Some families have overcome the effects of divorce by teaming well together and embracing a new addition to the family tree.
There are families that are built up of non-traditional bonds as well. Adoption, mentoring, friendships, co-parenting, are just a few of the many ways that families are formed. These networks bring value to the table for those who are willing to see value in them.
A wise CEO of the home will grab at all opportunities to gain wisdom and connectivity. What the CEO of the home has is the ability to select who they get closer to and what advice they take on.
Just because some branches don’t offer value at present doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. Some periods of life may require being a little less close for the sake of being much closer later. It’s not just a science, it’s an art as well.
The one constant in all of this, the CEO of the home. They have to work diligently to build the network they have so that the family functions optimally.
In the pursuit of excellence, the CEO of the home will often adopt counsel from experts to help guide the path of their family. This helps shape their contribution to the family tree. With each CEOs building up towards a better tomorrow, the whole tree becomes better with each passing season and each passing generation.
The network of networks
In conclusion, the CEO of the home is primarily focused on the growth of the home. To reach the fullest potential of the home, these CEOs need to understand the bigger picture of the home. They need to understand the impact other members of the family tree have on their family. They need to work within the bigger context of a community at large.
How one navigates these layers of network has an impact on the family as well as on the network itself. It’s really a whole village effect that makes communities stronger.
We can’t select what children we have… at least not yet for the biological children we have. We can’t pick our parents. We can’t pick our siblings. What we can control is our influence on them and their influence on us. Leveling up our social skills means we can tap into the best side of our networks and help that become stronger while avoiding some of the pitfalls in our network to minimize their effects in general and specifically.
The larger the network, the more patience and time it takes to have an impact on the network. We have the advantage of technology to stay connected and keep the network healthy. Let’s use all of our tools to our best abilities to improve the connections within the larger family so that our nuclear family has the best winning edge possible.
Cheers to strong family networks of networks.
Below will be a list of all the blog posts related to this series…
Empowering the Home Through Rituals and Traditions
Every family has their own rituals and traditions. Some are seasonal, others are life long. How we curate and shape our rituals will impact our traditions which impacts our legacy. The roles of the CEOs of the home in shaping rituals and traditions changes over time. Being intentional about these will greatly empower your family.
Championing Success Through Empowered Communications
Words have an impact. They paint amazing images. When words are backed by actions, they leave a lasting impression. What we choose to speak, how we speak it, when we speak it can make or break the motivation of a family member. The CEOs of the home are mindful and careful to champion the success of their home.
To Improve a Family Tree, Improve a Family’s Network
Everyone has a network. Each family has a network. The strength of the various connections impacts the net-worth of the network. The network of networks isn’t limited to bloodlines either. The CEOs of the home knows how to leverage connectivity to empower the homes connected to the network.
A Model of a Resilient Home
When things get tough, that’s when you see how tough you really are. Thankfully, resilience is a skill that can be learned before tough times arrive. Between strong bonds and habits, one can practice and learn the craft of rebounding through adversity. The attitude of gratitude finds a way into the mindset that gives CEOs of the home an edge in facing life.
The Graciously Empowered Family
CEOs of the home have many duties. One of which is to leave their homes empowered. The skills and grace required to achieve the vision is ever changing. This overview posts captures part of a seminar’s experience in helping heads of families improve their skills at leading their homes. The Chief Empowerment Office is a very busy place where magic seems to happen. Good thing there is a bit of science to the art.
There is a list of supporting blog posts at the end.
