5 Steps to Helping Your Child Become a Leader
By Scott D. Krenz
Being a leader and developing leadership skills is learned. While some children may have a little more confidence in themselves than others, it does not necessarily make them a leader. It has been proven countless times throughout history that anyone can learn to be a leader. As a parent, you will play a huge part in whether your child is a leader or follower in life.
Being a Leader does not necessarily mean that a person is in a position to tell others what to do. Many of the most powerful or influential leaders in history simply led themselves, but through their powerful individual choices they influenced millions or even entire generations of people around the world. One of the most important traits of a leader is the ability to make decisions for yourself, being able to stand up to peer pressure and set a personal standard of behavior.
Leaders and followers step into their roles at a very young age. You can walk into a kindergarten class and within a very short period of time you will know which children are going to be the leaders in the class and who will be the followers.
As a parent, the question you need to ask is:
Do I want MY child to be a leader or a follower?
Because it really is up to you! It is up to you to instill your children with the knowledge and skills to be a leader everyday of their life...beginning TODAY!
There are a few simple skills you can help your child learn and develop that will help them become a leader. These skills will empower your children with the confidence and tools to make choices for themselves and not have to follow the crowd or cave in to peer pressure.
5 Qualities of a Leader.
A Leader says Yes, I Can!
It's called the power of Positive Attitude.
A Leader understands there will be many people throughout their life who will tell them why they CAN NOT do or be something. A leader stays focused on maintaining a positive attitude no matter what the people around them say or do. A leader stands up to peer pressure everyday to make choices for themselves.
Teach your children to say Yes I can! even when they are not sure. Help them understand the power of a positive attitude.
A Leader says It's not a problem, it's a Challenge! It's called Overcoming Adversity.
Everyday life is filled with challenges, however, many people call them problems and therefore they are overcome by their magnitude. One of the crutches in life that leaders do not use is the phrase I Can't. Leaders learn very quickly in life that saying I can't is just an excuse not to try. It makes it easy to give up. The first step to being a leader is to always say Yes, I Can. There is always another solution. You just need to ask a different or better question to find more solutions. Each challenge in life is an opportunity to learn a new lesson.
Teach your children to ask better questions and be creative in finding solutions to life's challenges. Help them find the lesson in each of life's challenges.
A Leader says Never give up, never give up, never give up! It's called Perseverance.
The easiest answer or path whenever something gets hard in life is to stop or give up. A Leader knows that the easiest path is not always the best path. A simple well-known quote expresses the power of perseverance very well:
Perseverance prevails when all else fails.
Quitting is easy. It's a habit that begins at a young age. Children need to learn at a very young age the power of building positive habits in life.
Teach your children the power and importance of not quitting and fulfilling their commitments in life. Help them develop a habit of persistence and fulfilling commitments.
A Leader says I may fail or make mistakes BUT I always learn and move ahead! It's called Commitment.
Mistakes and failure are an integral part of life. We tend to learn the most in life from our mistakes or failures. Leaders learn to do their best and are not beaten down by their mistakes. Leaders learn to ask themselves a powerful question each time they make a mistake or fail: What can I learn from this experience?
Teach your children it is OK to make mistakes in life as long as they learn and do their very best. Help them find the lesson in each of life's experiences.
A Leader says I will always do my best! It's called Excellence.
EXCELLENCE or doing your very best, is a daily decision. It's easy to be average. It takes a focused effort every day to do your best. It really is an attitude. Leaders choose to do their best in everything they do. It's not about being better than other people; it's just about challenging yourself to be your best.
Teach your children to do their own best and not worry about comparing themselves to other people. Help them understand the importance of challenging themselves to do their very best everyday.