COURAGE OVER COMFORT: Lessons in Parenting and Leadership

IN A WORLD that mistakes discipline for cruelty, strong parenting is often misunderstood.

- By Srinath Sridharan

True love sometimes means saying no, standing firm, and guiding a child not toward comfort but toward character. The same can be said of leadership. Doing what is right often feels unpopular, but it is necessary for growth.

Love Dressed in Discipline

Why does parenting today feel so often like being misunderstood? Why do firm words sound harsh and boundaries feel like betrayal? Why does love that comes dressed in discipline get mistaken for rejection? These are questions more and more parents find themselves asking not because they do not love their children, but because they do. Leaders ask the same questions when making hard choices that others may not see yet.

One of the most fundamental roles of a parent is to protect. Protection does not always look soft or agreeable. Sometimes it means standing in the way of a bad decision. Sometimes it means saying no. Sometimes it means letting a child face the consequences of their choices so life can teach what love cannot sugar-coat. In the same way, a manager or CEO must sometimes let teams face the consequences of their actions to build resilience and judgment.

Correction Often Seen as Control