One, two, three . . .

by Mary Beth Matteo, Founding Director of the S. Dale High Center

Birth order has been a topic of debate for many years. As the Center discusses relationships, it’s worth a second look. Does your birth position in the family affect your leadership style? Does birth order affect your family’s perception of you as a leader? Does it color their business decisions?

With customers and clients, should your communication vary depending on whether you’re dealing with a first born, middle child or last born? There are many exceptions to the birth order categories (for instance, single children should also be included) but the three main types can be summarized as follows:

Birth order helps to create distinctive “habits of mind,” or ways of interpreting the world. Depending on the position in the family, a person may feel “on the top of the pile” (first born), squeezed in the middle and negotiating a position (middle), or ignored and having to carve out a place in the limelight (last born.) Below we have listed some of the characteristics of first, middle and last born, as well as famous examples:

First born -- leader; take charge kind of person
Winston Churchill
Hilary Clinton
Rush Limbaugh

Middle -- mediator; secretive
Donald Trump
JFK
Bill Gates

Last born -- the Charmer; likes limelight
Ronald Reagan
Ross Perot
Whoopie Goldberg

So, which is it? Hype or fact? Birth order theories are a bit of both, perhaps.

Sum and Substance: This is definitely information you should have in your arsenal! For an interesting read on the subject, try The New Birth Order Book, by Dr. Kevin Leman. It includes an interesting chapter on “How to Let Your Birth Order Work for You in Business.” For those who want a skeptical assessment, check out this NY Times article on birth order.