"Cultivating Three Kinds of Intelligence: Introducing Generation iY" Part 3

The information quoted in my blog today comes from the book "Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future". This is part 3 of a 3 part series on Generation iY (defined in the next paragraph).

In his book, author Tim Elmore defines "Generation Y, as being the Millennials, those born between 1984 and 2002". He says "The younger Millennials, born after 1990, resemble their older Gen Y counterparts in many ways, but in volumes of other ways they stand in stark contrast to them. More than any previous group, this younger population has been defined by technology-which is why I believe it's accurate to call them Generation iY."

 My thoughts are in bold below.
 
Cultivating Three Kinds of Intelligence
 "Helping young people grow isn't just a matter of delivering content, of course. It's about developing men and women who leverage their influence in positive ways-which is another way of saying we must cultivate three vital qualities in Generation iY:"

• "Emotional Intelligence. We need to help them develop their EQ-  self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management."
• "Moral Intelligence. We need to coach them toward robust character-personal discipline, secure sense of self, strong positive values. (Perhaps we could call this MQ)
• "Leadership intelligence. Finally we need to encourage clear vision, courage, priorities, big-picture perspective, and planning skills. (LQ)"

"Perhaps more that traditional targets like GPA, SAT or ACT scores, or even IQ rankings, we should aim toward helping young people increase their EQ,MQ, and LQ. All three of these "intelligences" will significantly nurture healthy leaders in this emerging generation."

"Here's an example that hits me close to home. I've mentioned already that my daughter Bethany is a diplomat. She is not a Leader, but a leader- a situational leader, rather than a habitual one. Her nature is to be laid-back and casual. However, because she has developed the three important areas above, she has been a resident advisor (RA) in the dorms. She has been a student trustee. She has also served on the executive team for the annual leadership conference as a teachers assistant."

"Not long ago, Bethany called me and told me how inadequate she felt when she was asked to serve in another leadership role. She knew she could handle the duties, but she confided that there were so many other smarter students on campus who could fill that role as well."

"I simply reminded her that good leaders aren't necessarily the ones with the highest IQ, but the ones with the highest EQ, MQ and LQ. Faculty and staff had noticed she was savvy in relationships, that she had strong character and thought like a leader. She was exactly the kind of person they were looking for."

Happy 4th of July!!
What are your thoughts about what Tim Elmore has to say here regarding the EQ, MQ and LQ? Does his example of his own daughter, Bethany, hit home with you and your Generation iYer?

What would happen if you concentrated on cultivating these three vital qualities in your Generation iYer,? Understanding that not only do we want to cultivate these three vital qualities, but we Christian parents should be incorporating biblical values that are "equipping" our children that will help to guide and mold them in all three of these vital qualities. 

I believe they will need these vital leadership qualities in the future to fight for the Christian faith that the current culture continues to push to the side as intolerant and irrelevant.

Since it is the 4th of July, a day that we celebrate our freedom, what do you suppose were the qualities of the people who left England, leaving religious persecution, to come to a new land where they could live free?

What will the United States and the world look like in 2030 when this Generation iY get's to be adults; leading in politics, leading the churches, leading the business world, leading the culture? 

The future is waiting for new leaders. The future leaders are in the hands of today's parents.

Terry Langenberg
Twitter: TheLangenberg
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