Authoritative parents good for kids

Children whose parents have a firm parenting approach allowing them to test the rules and learn from it are more likely to assume leadership roles as adults, a recent study has found.

A new study has found that children whose parents have a firm parenting approach allowing them to test the rules and learn from it are more likely to assume

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leadership roles as adults.

For the new study published in a recent edition of The Leadership Quarterly, researchers used data from a long-term Minnesota study of twins. Apparently children raised by “authoritative” but supportive parents assumed more leadership roles at work and in their communities later in life.

While these children were also less likely to engage in serious rule-breaking, children who did engage in serious rule-breaking were less likely to assume leadership roles.

Children challenging the boundaries set out by their parents learn why the rules are in place and then learn from their parents how to achieve their goals without breaking the rules.

Maria Rotundo, a professor at the Rotman School of Management said: “Some of these early examples of rule-breaking behaviour, more the modest type, don’t necessarily produce negative outcomes later in life – that was fairly intriguing. “It doesn’t mean all children of authoritative parents are going to become leaders, but they are more likely to.”

The study seems to suggest the saying that leaders are raised more than they are born. Also, behavioural genetics has shown that innate factors account for only 30 per cent of who will end up in leadership positions and people’s leadership styles.