Are we set up to fail?

Have you ever thought about how our education system sets us up with false narratives and hidden expectations from an early age?

Or about the messages we receive at an early age about what it takes to be successful in life?

In a world where we are taught at school to do well in life, we must achieve things, and have things to be successful, to fit in we are setting up false narratives and hidden expectations at an early age.

We are taught, in effect, that the answers lie 'out there' to our success and happiness, and ability to truly flourish in life. Yes, of course, education is very important, but let's remember what education is...

“Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, habits, and personal development."

But where is the education around discovering the resources, we already have within ourselves? And developing these?

Where are we developing the idea of curiosity and the possibility of something that comes from within? We don't need to wait to be taught or to be led as to what we need to do IF these skills are developed at a young age. We certainly would have a more flexible, agile, and resilient population were we to strengthen the core of each youngster by allowing them the freedom to discover who they are and what matters most to them in a way that encourages, enables, and empowers the idea of individuality and that everyone's dreams and aspirations are valid and are of value... I am pretty sure stress and the increasing level of suicide amongst the young would diminish... the level of global consumerism would decline... and its impact on the environment lessen.

Where are people teaching the skills required to 'bridge the gap' by offering a process to be used time and time again in school to educate the young about context...

This was brought sharply into focus for me when I was asked to contribute to a student's dissertation about misogyny in the police force from a woman's perspective. Without personal experience it wasn't something I felt I could truly comment on... and I wasn't going to base my opinion on a narrative presented by the media nor could I make comment on my thoughts on a report about how misogynistic the police force was, because where was the context? Where are the reports made of other organizations? Is it just the police force or is it endemic?

It made me realize we not educating context and perspective... which comes from nurturing our creativity and desire to see perspectives... where is that on the school curriculum? Where are we educating... our peers that the number of influencers in the world is the teeny tiny minority... and that in the end, it is what is within you which will be what keeps you going.. whatever the world throws at you…

I have spoken to hundreds of individuals who didn't quite fit in at school...the reason is almost immaterial... as it's the impact this had/is having that we should really take note of. All of them say had a better environment has been offered to accommodate individuality their subsequent ‘struggle’ in life would have been distinctly diminished.

Reading a piece from Marcus Buckingham * in the Harvard Business Review he comments on the need for businesses to focus on "the uniqueness of one" and indeed this is very true.. but we need to start nurturing that much earlier in life...

It takes a different style of education.. coaching.. mentoring more than telling... the idea of leading from within or ‘self-leadership’.

Encourage the idea of exploration, creativity, and possibility not cut it down because a set of steps or sequences hasn't been used or you haven't followed the teacher... all this keeps us stuck and in our comfort zones or worse still feeling like we are not good enough or don't fit in if we can't quite get it right... because we're marked down or told we're wrong...?there is nothing wrong nor right here... just different approaches and styles... individuality...and that's okay.

Why does this all matter?

Jon Clifton , CEO of Gallup, highlights that global unhappiness is on the rise*, and has been ever since they started measuring it, this wasn’t a consequence of the pandemic, that merely accelerated the trend. Companies can continue to implement ‘well-being’ programs, and train ‘mental health first aiders’, but, when all is said and done, that is like sticking a giant plaster over a wound that requires proper care and attention.

What can we do about it?

Don’t wait until the horse has bolted, be pre-emptive, the former is certainly more damaging.

Encourage an environment that enables awareness, perspective, and curiosity, nurtures self-leadership, and empowers individuals to lead with calm confidence.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, perspectives, and experiences. Let me know in the comments below.

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#leadership #education #mentalhealth #wellbeing #resilience

* Marcus Buckingham: Designing Work That People Love (hbr.org)

** Jon Clifton, CEO Gallup: "Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It"