Leadership, in a child, refers to qualities of honesty, integrity, decision making, being a good listener, control over emotions and so on. Developing leadership qualities contributes greatly towards professional and personal success. Some children are born leaders whereas some require guidance. The process of inculcating leadership qualities in an individual begins during the early years of life; both at home and school with the efforts of parents and teachers.
Let’s see what it takes to mold a child into a leader:
- Be A Good Example: Children learn more by observing than by following instructions. Teach them how to be great leaders by being one yourself. Show them it is okay not to be perfect at all times. Practice resiliency and patience and your kids will follow suit.
- Participation In Team Activities: Group activities are the perfect platform for teaching valuable life lessons to kids. Sports, a school band, scouting troop, etc. are some team activities that can teach kids how to work in a group.
- Teach The Art Of Decision Making: You can do this by offering your child alternatives to a situation instead of out rightly accepting or refuting his request. Let your child learn how to choose between two or more options by weighing the pros and cons of each.
- Encourage Confident Communication: Find opportunities to encourage your child to speak for himself. For example, when at a restaurant, let your child speak to the server’s directly and place his order. This is a powerful exercise for building confidence.
- Take A Step Back: If your child gets stuck in an obstacle, abstain from jumping in right away to help. Let your child figure out a solution and try to face the challenge without your interference. Leaders learn through experience.
- Encourage Reading: Leaders read a lot. They know the power of a good book. Reading expands one’s horizons and teaches children about the world.
- Avoid Over-Praising: Praise is important for building a child’s self-esteem but too much of it can backfire. Keep your praises for special occasions and let your child strive to be better without getting complacent.
- Have Regular Family Game Nights: Screen time is becoming a norm in the modern day world. To foster communication and interaction in the family, organize some activities for a special family night once a week. Games are great for such nights as they will teach your children valuable lessons such as learning to lose, respecting rules and applying strategy.
- Build Project Planning Skills: Planning ahead is an essential leadership skill that is very valuable in goal setting and working towards achieving the goal. From a young age, teach your children how to set goals, visualize them and work towards achieving them. A good place to start is by creating vision boards.
We, at
Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Texas, offer a wide range of leadership programs for kids aged 6 to 18 years. To enroll your child at the club, call at (254) 699 –5808 or visit 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.