Leadership is defined as a person’s ability to influence others to reach a common goal. It is a useful skill that everyone can learn, but not everyone can master. That is because it requires having the right mindset, the right attitude, and most of all, the right expertise.
Some children display the traits of a leader naturally, and there are also those who do not. However, in the long run, it does not matter that much. What is more important is how they develop their potential for it. We as parents can help them do so.
Here are the 5 steps to bringing out the leader in your child:
Enforce positivity in their thoughts
One of the most defining traits of a good leader is their ability to go further despite setbacks without losing heart. Their tendency to be strong forces of positivity allows them to withstand vast amounts of pressure which in turn empowers their peers to do the same.
Teach your child to be positive by:
- Encouraging them to control their inner voice. Children’s feelings and thoughts often manifest themselves in the form of an inner voice. For example, should your child find himself nervous upon moving to a new international school in manila, they might tell themselves things like “I don’t know anyone here; I’ll be lonely.” Instead of that, remind your child to think positively despite the uncertainty, and to change their inner perspective into something better like “This is a new opportunity for me to make new friends!”
- Inspiring them to be. Encourage them to take part in activities that will reinforce positivity. For example, give your child a journal and instruct him to write every good thing he did for the day. Alternatively, you can also ask your child to create a diary that highlights their everyday life, which in turn can help them evaluate if they’ve done something good for the day.
- Create a happy environment for them to be in. Tell jokes, share stories, and shy away from any form of negativity.
Be a good example
Nothing influences a child quite like their parents, and the same is true for leaders and their followers. Parents who are able to display the (especially in everyday life) are more likely to influence their children to do the same once they grow older. As Thomas J. Watson once put it:
“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.”
Encourage team building activities
This strategy is simple: find out about your child’s hobbies and allow them to mingle with others who have similar interests. Let them join school clubs and other extracurricular activities so that they can experience what it is like to have to work with others on a singular goal. Over time, they are sure to develop a sense of team work and leadership among their peers.
Hone their decisiveness
A simple way to practice this is to get two toys or items that your child likes and then make them choose only one. This will force them to make an actual informed decision on which of the two they will benefit them the most.
Teach them to share their thoughts
who cannot communicate are considered to be ineffective. This is why children who aspire to be one should learn to relay their thoughts clearly, concisely, and effectively every time. Parents can practice this by allowing their children to talk to other people such as when buying something from a store or ordering food from a restaurant. There is little to be gained from a leader who cannot speak their mind, after all.
Conclusion
Leadership in children is something that develops over time. With the right prodding, though, it can flourish earlier within them. As long as you encourage the continual development of positive thinking, living like a leader, team building, decisiveness, and communication, then your child’s ability to influence others will know no bounds.
