Sharp Leadership: Parenting Principles for Rearing Young People

By Carl Sharperson

Carl H. Sharperson, Jr. takes readers on a journey of how to transition life experiences, good and bad, into youth learning opportunities. He shares with transparency how parenting, teaching, coaching, athletics, cancer, the US Naval Academy, and The Marine Corps shaped him into the father and mentor he i

• Language: English
• Publisher: ELOHAI International Publishing & Media
• Release date: Apr 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9781953535559

Carl Sharperson

Carl Sharperson Jr. is a Leadership Innovation Strategist, speaker, author, and coach. He specializes in taking leaders from mediocre to maximizing their potential in work and personal life. He transforms his audience and coaching clients through his proprietary Sharp Leadership coaching process as well as drawing from his unique experiences in the military, Corporate America and entrepreneurship.A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former United States MarineCorps pilot with a BS in Engineering, Carl documented those experiences in his book,Sharp Leadership Overcome Adversity To Lead With Authenticity, which is a life changing book.Following his service, he went on to hold a number of senior sales and operational positions with Frito Lay, Procter & Gamble, and Colgate Palmolive. In fact, he was the Vice President of Manufacturing for an international sports company, when he felt the tug towards entrepreneurship. He then launched Sharperson's Executive Leadership in 2000, where he has worked with executives at companies including: Harley Davidson, BMW, University of North Carolina, and Chick-fil-A, just to name a few.As a speaker, Carl travels nationally, and was trained by the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC, as an adjunct trainer, where he specialized in executive coaching, leadership, and organizational development.Carl recognizes the value of giving back and works on several community and faith based initiatives, serving as a mentor and a resource to maximize the potential of youth today. Carl and his wife make their home in the upstate of SC, and they are the proud parents of a son and a daughter.Carl H. Sharperson, Jr.Speaker

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Why did I write this book  at this time?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Summary

Conclusion

Challenge

Acknowledgements

Let’s Connect

Foreword

With the invention of the Internet, anyone can become an expert or authority on anything. With the invention of social media, society began to sort and decide credibility based on lifestyle, well-lit photos, lavish vacations, and perceived status. While there’s a large portion of people that build platforms on fluff, there’s a remnant of people looking for substance. They ask key questions, such as Who are you?, What’s your background?, Why should I listen to you?, and so many more. To be an educated and wise consumer, these questions are necessary.

You likely have these same questions right now, especially if you were given this book or you picked it up from someone’s coffee table.

Who is Carl H. Sharperson, Jr.? He’s a veteran aviator turned corporate executive turned entrepreneur, a husband, and my dad. Honestly, anyone who writes a parenting book really should have halfway decent kids, right? At the time of this writing, I’m a thirty-one-year-old account manager at a fast-growing tech company, a brand strategist, an author, an international speaker, a podcast host, and a homeowner. Much of this was accomplished by the time I was twenty-five. I’m often asked how I have the confidence to speak to large crowds or bungee jump off of bridges. My simple, yet not-so-simple answer: It’s who I am.

The more complex answer is that I was raised to work strategically, think critically, communicate effectively, honor my temple, and build really incredible relationships. These skills don’t just happen. They must be carefully curated.

Why should you listen to Carl? I truly believe that it’s not necessary to experience everything through the school of hard knocks. It can be just as effective to take a shortcut using proven strategies and leveraging the wisdom of people that have had success in the area that you seek. In fact, this was one of the lessons that my dad and mom taught me. I could learn from other people’s wins, losses, mistakes, and mountaintops. This book is not only a playbook for child rearing, but also a version of mentorship to hear a different perspective.

You see, there are no perfect parents. In fact, I believe that every child is going to need therapy for their experiences as children, even in the most idyllic homes. Life is challenging. There are circumstances that crop up that are out of your control, but when you have the tools to experience adversity, process through it, and not internalize it, you’re truly winning. So, yes, I’ve had to process through situations that I thought were unfair and unjust from my childhood experiences. But I’ve also had the great benefit of learning invaluable lessons that I took for granted for many years.

Here are three lessons that I learned early from my parents’ creative (maybe slightly extreme) parenting:

I need to have an income plan. My parents opened my first checking and savings accounts when I was around six or seven. I actually still have the accounts today. I was so excited to write checks and spend money on Scholastic catalogs. (This was obviously way before online shopping.) One day I looked at my statement and saw that, to my horror, my money was going down because nobody was adding funds to the account. Needless to say, I’m big on budgeting now.

I don’t need technology for entertainment. I wasn’t allowed to watch television during the week, so I was forced to find entertainment from other sources. This allows me to not be tethered to my phone or look for distractions when I have free time.

I have the freedom to try new things. I starred in my first theatrical production at five years old because I saw an ad for it on television. I went to my mom and said I wanted to do it. She and my dad said yes to most activities that I wanted to try. This is why I still enjoy traveling and forging new experiences.

There are so many more things that I can say my parents taught me. Ultimately, I count myself blessed to have shifted from a strict parent–child relationship to one of friendship and mutual respect. I love to stay connected with my parents and don’t dread spending time with them. I realize that story may not be a common one. However, no matter your relationship with your parents, kids, or future kids, leading with love, understanding, and forgiveness has the power to turn the tide.

I pray that you will use this book as a starting place for conversations and considerations for child rearing that you might not have thought of before. In the end, I am so grateful that you get to experience a portion of wisdom that my dad so graciously shares with me and I plan to share with my children.

With love,

Casey Sharperson

Brand Strategist | Author www.CaseySharperson.com

Why did I write this book at this time?

Over the last several years, I have observed what seems to be an increase in the inability of parents to teach, manage, discipline, correct, respect, and love their babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, and young adults. I started looking for resources and did