You Didn't Get There By Yourself

James McLanmb joins the show today. He is the founder of Generation Youth, and in this conversation we get into why removing obstacles for young people backfires, what 2,500 interviews with teens revealed about what they actually struggle with, and how the wisdom of Zig Ziglar still holds up decades later. We talk about: Why "lawnmower parenting" — clearing every obstacle before your kid gets to it — quietly destroys the confidence you're trying to build The three things every teenager struggles with (and how James landed on the exact same three buckets Ziglar identified back in the 1960s) What coaching actually means, and why "leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less" Why today's most connected generation is also its loneliest Key quotes: "Whenever you see a turtle on top of a fence, you know it didn't get there by itself." "This is the most connected generation in the history of our planet, yet it's the loneliest generation too." "Failure is an event. It's not a person." "By removing these things, you're removing the things that build their character, that build their resilience, that build their confidence." Join us at the summit: John Eades is speaking at the free Igniting the Next Generation Empower Summit (July 27–Aug 7), a virtual event for parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors navigating identity, mental health, social media, and purpose with today's youth. His talk is titled "Your Job Is Not to Keep Them Safe." Register free at ignitenextgen.com.