Teaching Kids to be Leaders
Cory Dobbs, Ed.D.
Imagine a sign over the door of every classroom. The colorful sign says, Urgently Needed: Young Leaders
Would your child be prepared to answer this call? Unfortunately, too many of us have fallen into the trap that leaders are the select and chosen few and that followers are the vast majority. Yet, leadership is not an all-or-nothing ability, something you either have of don’t have.
The truth is all young people have some capacity for leadership. Leadership skills are instilled, not inherited. One of the best things we can do for young people is help them develop to be leaders.
Leadership training starts at home. As your child’s first teacher your goal should be to set the right example. Do what it takes to excite, motivate, and inspire your child to lead at home, on the playground, and in the hallways at school. Appeal to the young leader’s sense of adventure and make the invisible sign above the classroom door visible.
A leader in every desk is not about dividing students into leaders and non-leaders. Rather it’s about trying to develop the capabilities in each and every student to stand up to the many challenges of leadership. It’s about teaching that leadership is a human endeavor, that leadership is about such issues as integrity, character, and helping others.
Prepare Children for a Lifetime of Leadership
It is up to us as parents, teachers, coaches, and youth group advisors to instill these four fundamentals into their lives. Here are a few ways you can teach and coach your child and those under your tutelage to become a leader:
- Build Confidence to Build
Competence.
Confidence comes from success. Be alert to opportunities. The only way your child can succeed is through accepting opportunities to lead. Nudge the child outside his or her comfort zone; empower them to get up and take action. Challenge your child and support them when they struggle.
- Create an environment where your child can flourish.
Help your child construct a long-term perspective. Help him or her develop a game plan for turning their vision into reality. Teach them that success and accomplishment are not measured by how they compare to someone else, but how much they improve from where they started.
- Establish healthy relationships.
Show your child how to build positive relationships. Encourage him or her to, as best possible, work through their conflicts on their own first. Teach them how to maturely deal with disagreements. Embolden them to say, “let’s work together.”
- Remember that kids will be kids.
Leadership is hard work. All young leaders will constantly ask themselves, “So why should I be a leader?” They need to be taught, nurtured, and guided along their journey. Take the time to understand how your child is progressing as they strive to lead. All kids will engage in inner struggles over self-doubt, frustration, and uncertainty. They will be challenged and tested and need you to come alongside and pick them up as they experience setbacks.
As your child and those you coach begin their leadership journey remind them that there is no magical path to succeed as a leader. Rather, it is a way of life.
