As a father of three young children (aged 6, 9, and 12), I used to ask quite often: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
The classic answers followed: “professional footballer,” “professional tennis player”—or my favorite: “a professor, like you.”

Of course, as a father, you love to hear that. It shows that your children have interests and ambitions. At the same time, as a parent, you tend to interpret such statements as indicators of their abilities and dreams—and try to support them in that direction.

But the more I think about it, the more I begin to doubt: is that even the right question? What do you want to be when you grow up?

Doesn’t it send the wrong message? Shouldn’t we rather teach our children that we are more than the job we do?

Work is an activity—it doesn’t have to define our identity. Healthy development and strong self-worth come from character, not from career choice.

Today, I try above all to give my children a strong foundation—and increasingly ask questions like:

• What kind of impact do you want to leave on the world?
• How would you like your friends to describe you one day?
• And what kind of feeling do you want to leave with the people you’ve worked with?

To be honest, I don’t get many answers to these questions yet. They look at me with wide eyes—and start thinking about them. That’s something, at least, right?

This post was published by Wolfgang Jenewein on LinkedIn on June 16, 2025. Zum Original-Beitrag