My dad taught me about the importance of people in business

Today is Fathers day in Australia and I thought it was fitting to pay tribute to the things that my father taught me about valuing people at work. My father was a teacher and a Primary School Principal. 

One thing I will say about my dad is that he always enjoyed creating a strong 'business' which in this case was a Primary school, that benefited the community and especially the kids. He valued his teachers, and when I left home and started my career, we spent many an afternoon on the back verandah of my old family home chatting about people challenges and he counselled me on approaches I could take to get better outcomes. I am lucky, my dad is still here and I am grateful for being able to still sit and have a cuppa and a chat about business in general. I will never take that for granted. 

Here is some of the wisdom that he would impart:

The 'customer' matters the most - always. In my fathers case these were the kids in his school. He was able to make the 'system' work for his school, and at times he had unhappy stakeholders (parents) but his main aim was always to provide the children who attended his school with as many opportunities as he could through decision making. He displayed passion about getting the best for the kids in the Government schools he was responsible for. 

Challenge things that just don't make sense. Sometimes policies can seem ridiculous and counter-intuitive. You need to challenge those with respect. At times he challenged the Education system and the decisions or changes they made.

Be inclusive. My father knew his schools were open doors to everyone and really enjoyed creating the right environment so children of all backgrounds and needs were catered for. This was a priority for him.

Surround yourself with people who you trust. I think my dad's chief number two is definitely my mum. For those who may think that sounds a little demeaning, I am pretty sure my mum's chief number two is my dad. At work, my father also had key people he trusted and who are lifelong friends.

Develop people to the point where they become leaders in their own right. This was one my father really impressed on me. You are a successful leader when you invest in your people and you support them to go onto greater challenges of their choosing. The more leaders you develop, the more successful you are. I have embraced this approach wholeheartedly.

Have a sense of faith. He and my mother in their own lives have a strong sense of faith. His sense of faith is something that is deeply personal but supported him to get through challenging times. That is something that certainly has stayed with me. It takes a different form with me, but certainly the foundation was from my parents.

Today on the phone I just said 'Thanks for everything you have done for me and I love you'. There just aren't the words that can express how much both my parents have taught me about life, work, love and how to be in the world. But the passion for people in what I do is definitely from them!

Happy fathers day to all of the positive male role models out there doing their best for their own kids and for all kids.