Your Kids’ Summer Energy Is a Leadership Lesson

Let me ask you something.

Have you watched kids in the summer lately? I mean really just observed them for a period of time? You may notice…

They try things constantly.

New games.

New tricks.

New recipes.

New sports.

New dances.

They build something.

Knock it down.

Build it again.

Change the rules halfway through.

No overthinking.

No five-year strategic plan.

No committee approval.

Just curiosity.

Now compare that to adults at work.

We hesitate.

We polish.

We overanalyze.

We wait until it’s “perfect.”

And in doing that? We kill innovation.

That’s why your kids’ summer energy is actually a leadership lesson in how curiosity at work beats perfection every single time.

The Innovation Gap

Here’s what kids do naturally:

They experiment without attachment.

If it fails?

They shrug.

They pivot.

They try again.

Adults don’t.

We attach identity to outcomes.

If the idea fails, we feel like we failed.

So instead of experimenting, we:

Refine endlessly.

Delay launching.

Over-prepare.

Or stay quiet in meetings.

Perfectionism masquerades as professionalism.

But perfectionism is often just fear.

And fear is the enemy of innovation.

What Kids Know That Leaders Forget

Kids operate in what psychologists call a growth mindset.

They assume:

“I can try.”

“I can learn.”

“I can adjust.”

Adults operate in performance mode:

“I must get this right.”

“I can’t look foolish.”

“I need to prove myself.”

One creates innovation. The other creates stagnation.

If you want curiosity at work, you have to normalize experimentation.

That starts with leadership.

The 4 Leadership Shifts: Curiosity Over Perfection

Here’s how to apply summer energy to your workplace.

1. Replace “Is This Good Enough?” with “What Can We Learn?”

Perfectionism asks: Is this flawless?

Curiosity asks: What data will this give us?

Instead of waiting to launch the perfect initiative, ask: What’s the smallest version we can test?

Innovation cultures prototype. Perfectionist cultures delay.

2. Normalize Draft Thinking

Kids don’t produce final versions. Everything is version 1. At work, we treat every email, idea, and deck like it’s permanent.

Start saying:

“This is draft thinking.”

“Let’s pressure test this.”

“I’m thinking out loud.”

That language creates psychological safety.

It tells your team: You don’t have to be polished to contribute.

And that unlocks creativity.

3. Celebrate Iteration, Not Just Outcomes

If you only praise wins, people hide risks.

Kids are praised for effort with:

“Nice try.”

“Good experiment.”

“Try again.”

Or even “Wasn’t that fun?!?!”

At work, try emulating that energy by saying:

“I appreciate you testing that.”

“Thank you for taking initiative.”

“That was a smart risk.”

You’re reinforcing behavior that leads to innovation.

4.  Ask More Curious Questions

Perfectionist leadership says: “Here’s the answer.”

Curious leadership says:

“What else could we try?”

“What are we not seeing?”

“If we weren’t afraid, what would we test?”

Curiosity lowers defensiveness. It increases engagement. It builds innovative teams.

Why This Matters More in the Summer

Summer exposes something.

When structure relaxes, creativity expands.

Kids don’t have rigid schedules. Their brains wander. They imagine.

Adults, when they slow down, often feel anxious. 

Because we confuse busyness with value.

But creativity requires space. Innovation requires mental margin. If you want stronger leadership mindset and better ideas in Q4, summer is the training ground.

Instead of filling every gap with productivity, leave room for experimentation.

The Perfectionism Trap in Leadership

I get it….perfectionism feels safe. Curiosity feels vulnerable.

When you say, “I don’t know. Let’s explore,” you risk looking less certain.

But strong leadership today isn’t about certainty. It’s about adaptability.

The most effective leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who create environments where ideas can breathe.

And that requires summer energy.

Play.

Experimentation.

Low-stakes attempts.

Your kids aren’t afraid to look silly. They aren’t paralyzed by imperfection.

They don’t confuse trying with failing. They just move. And guess what? 

That’s leadership, even in a tiny body.

So this summer, instead of tightening your grip on performance…

Loosen it.

Test something.

Say something unfinished.

Try something small.

This may make you uncomfortable but it will change your life and work in ways you can’t even imagine. Want to learn how to practice this technique? I give you step by step instructions in the whole episode of Cracking the Code: How Perfectionism Kills Innovation (And What Kids Can Teach Leaders About It).  Take a listen and don’t forget to rate and review if you are so inclined. 

The journey is yours.