subject: Helping Your Kid Expand Leadership Skills [print this page] Some people are born natural leaders. These people are easy to identify. They are almost always successful, they are self-confident, and other people tend to gravitate towards them. Just because a person is not a natural born leader, it doesn't mean that they never will be. Leadership skills are something everyone can and should develop.
However just because a person isn't born with a natural knack for leading a group, doesn't mean that they will forever be doomed to follow. The skills needed to be a leader can be developed. Even if a person will never be in a situation where they need to take charge, when a person knows they are capable of leading, they will be more self confident and relaxed.
If the child is shy, helping them work on becoming a leader will help pull them out of their shell. Boy/girl scouts and 4-H are excellent organizations for teaching kids how to become phenomenal leaders.
Good leaders share several of the same traits, and one of the traits all leaders have is a strong sense of curiosity. Children who are curious will instinctively take over and encourage their peers to explore and wonder. It isn't enough for a parent to encourage their child to be curious, they also need to teach their children to find the answers for themselves. Some people have noticed that when parent's help, but don't tell, their children find the answers to their questions, not only hone their child's leadership abilities, but also share a stronger bond with their child, than parent's who simply supply the answers.
There is very little point in helping you child become a leader if you don't teach them how to be a good listener. The best leaders are the ones who are able to keep their mouths shut and listen to both sides of an argument before they themselves weigh in. Parent's need to encourage their children to learn how to listen.
Leaders, at least good leaders, know that they need to be prepared for every possible situation. The problem is that kids, especially ones with a lot of curiosity, tend to plunge into their next great adventure without thinking. One of the harder tasks parents face is teaching their child the importance of taking an extra minute and thinking about all possible scenarios and making sure they are equipped to handle each one.
While there are instances when micro management is fine, delegating is equally important, when the child is younger teaching them how to share will eventually morph into the ability to delegate. When the child is a teenager getting them involved in group situations will help them learn that the inclusion of the entire group gets more done than when they do everything themselves.
Helping a child develop the leadership skills they should have isn't going to be easy. There are going to be times when you wonder if it is ever going to pay off, but as you watch a shy child move out of their shell and become self-assured, or watch a boisterous child actually listen to their peers instead of leaping to a snap judgment you will know that all of your effort has been repaid.
by: Lee Gilbert
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