Leadership Skills for Kids

For each person who agrees with the saying, "leaders are born, not made", there is one who disagrees. However, if you are reading this article, them I am forced to assume that you, like me, are among the dissenters. Which leaves us with the question, do you want your child to be a leader or a good leader? And if your choice is the latter, then who is a good leader? John Quincy Adams' words describe a good leader -"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Ideally, this is the kind of leader you should want your child to grow into.

There is no set method of going about it when it comes to a child in respect to trying to condition him to fit the role and carry the responsibility of leadership, however, there are certain ways where one can go about at least teaching a child to be a good leader. Childhood is the ideal time to develop leadership skills, which will enable an individual to take the lead in adulthood and which will form the base of a child's career development. If you want your child to turn into a good leader, don't subject him or her to a leadership skills test. Instead create an environment that is conducive to learning, where he or she can take responsibility as well as make mistakes. Though slightly unconventional, these are the values that need to be taught as leadership skills for kids:

Serve: While most will have you believe that true leadership lies in 'managing' people and delegating work, the virtue of good leadership skills lie in service. In leading a team or organization, a leader is serving his people, which is something he must always remember. Teach children to put the needs of the people they lead before their own, and also that no job is too small for them to do. It is in understanding what goes into getting a certain task done, that they are in the best position to manage it.

Teach by Example: As it is sometimes said; "be the message". As a leader, if you want your people to learn something, the best way to do this is through your example. One of the most important life lessons, that will in turn make kids good leaders is that they must learn to "do unto others as they would have others do unto them".

Communicate Effectively: In order to be a potent leader, one must be a good communicator. Words can be very powerful in inspiring people and effectuating action or change. A good leader communicates goals or plans clearly for his team. Teach children to say what they mean or want done clearly, so that others may understand. Another very crucial aspect of leadership skills for children is listening. If one fails to listen and understand, then he fails as a leader. Teach kids to listen twice as much as they speak.

Collaborate/Teamwork: For any big task to get accomplished, a group of people need to work as a team. Teach children that many hands make the load lighter. Teach them to allow others to share the burden (which in turn will make those individuals responsible), instead of trying to do everything themselves. Also teach them to appreciate and utilize all the different abilities and experiences each person brings to the group. And lastly, it is the leader's job to ensure that people work in harmony, and that the job gets done as smoothly as possible.

Decision-making: You must teach your child to make his or her own decisions early in life, irrespective of the consequences, as a good leader is always looked upon as a good and quick decision-maker. People do not want leaders who hesitate or are uncomfortable making decisions. Hence inculcate into your child the habit of making his decisions which will through trial and error, make him a good leader who makes quick decisions.

Negotiation/Compromising: A good leader is one who works well with others. As a leader, you will have to work along with many different kinds of people, some will be temperamentally difficult, while others may have opposing points of view. Teach children to allow room for differences and respect the point of view of others. Effective leadership qualities include the ability to give and take while working with others. To be a good leader, not a dictator, one must be able to compromise and negotiate, keeping the bigger picture in mind. However, most importantly, teach them to accept when they are wrong.

Vision and Planning: A good leader must be able to think about the future with imagination and wisdom. Always keeping the values of the team in mind while ensuring that all efforts are towards achieving the singular goal. To accomplish these goals, the ability to plan strategically is an asset to any leader. Teach children how to draw out a plan of action, right down the smallest detail. For children, large tasks can seem overwhelming, thus they need to be taught how to break it down into sections.

Along with the aforementioned leadership skills for kids, if you teach them not to quit, you're sure to produce some fine leaders. Teach them to be the kind of leaders who will help others to discern their gifts and put them to good use, support them in the efforts, and drawing everyone together by providing a sense of unity and direction. Leadership skills in kids can be inculcated in childhood, so it's never too early to start.