Teaching Your Child to Be a Leader
Some people believe that great leaders are born that way. However, leadership is most often taught by parents, friends, leaders or colleagues. Even if your child feels like more of a follower now, they have the potential to achieve great things. Children and teens who learn about leadership from a young age can carry those lessons with them throughout their lives. Here are a few ways we encourage parents to teach their children to be leaders.
Lead By Example
Children learn from what they see in others. If you exhibit leadership skills in your own life, your child will likely follow suit. Show your child what a leader looks like. Be their cheerleader when they work toward their goals, and be stern when they need a heart-to-heart. You can also show them the power of servant leadership, or leading through acting in kindness towards others. Consider volunteering at their school or showing them what you do for work to provide real-world servant leadership examples. Show them that leadership is more than giving great speeches or getting in front of a crowd. If they see what leadership looks like, they’ll learn how they can become leaders themselves.
Talk About Teamwork
Being a team player is an essential quality for a leader. Talk to your child about ways they can practice leadership at school. They can take the lead on the next group project or run for a leadership position in their favorite school club. If they prefer to stay on the sidelines, they can build up their leadership skills by taking initiative in working with others. When children collaborate with others, they empower themselves and their peers to succeed.
Foster Independence
Just as important as working with others is being able to stand up on your own. You may be tempted to make decisions for your child, especially when they’re in a bind. However, your child needs to discover their independence. Let them make decisions for themselves, even if that starts with giving them one or two options. From there, you can teach them about negotiation. Great leaders know how and when to negotiate. Let your child practice by negotiating with you on things like what to eat for dinner or making a case for what movie they want to see on family movie night.
Encourage Empathy
To truly connect with others and build strong relationships, your child will need to know about empathy. The best time to encourage empathy for your child is when another child upsets them or when they say something unkind about someone. Encourage them to take a step back and look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. It will take practice, but this skill is invaluable for future leaders.
Discuss Keeping an Open Mind
The most important leadership skill that can benefit people of any age is to have an open mind. This means taking risks and seizing opportunities, even when it’s scary. Encourage your child to audition for that lead role or put their hat in the ring for team captain. It also means being flexible when things don’t go exactly as planned. When your child’s plans fall through, help your child make new plans. Learning how to have an open mind and be adaptable will take your child far in life.
At our Titusville private school, we encourage students to learn leadership skills early on and use those skills in school and beyond. With over 57 years of academic excellence, St. Teresa Catholic School provides a quality education that challenges and empowers students to develop their full potential. Teachers foster qualities that are essential for lifelong learning and equip students for future success. To learn more about why St. Teresa is the perfect fit for you and your student, contact us today.