What are the qualities of a good leader? How can we cultivate good leadership qualities in children? What are the different ways? Why is it even essential to inculcate leadership qualities and skills? These are some questions that might have come into the parents’ minds time and again. Leadership skills, however, are not an option any longer. They are vital to one’s success in this increasingly dynamic and complex world we are living in. Leadership skills in teenagers are vital for their overall development.
What is the Importance of Leadership Skills?
Only leaders need to have leadership skills; that’s a misconception. Every individual needs to be equipped with the qualities of a good leader in order to make it big in life and career.
Good leadership qualities in children incorporate their self-confidence in asserting themselves and achieving goals, their negotiation skills in gaining the best possible outcomes for all concerned parties, their effective communication skills in putting their points across to get every work done, their collaboration skills in managing a group of people and keeping them motivated to set higher objectives, their decision-making and problem-solving skills in coming up with innovative ideas from time to time, their courage to take accountability in failure and successes, and their relentless learning attitude in career and relationships.
Leadership skills in teenagers mean all these skills and so much more!
The importance of leadership skills therefore cannot be neglected for long. The world is changing at a rapid pace; teenagers have infinite energy and fresh ideas within them; the earlier teens develop these skills, the better it is all going to be.
Three Best Ways to Develop Leadership Skills in Teenagers
1. Encourage Teens to Voice Their Thoughts with Full Confidence & Clarity
As above-mentioned, leadership skills include self-confidence and effective communication skills.
When parents encourage their children to express themselves, children tend to get better and more confident with time. They become better communicators when given such opportunities frequently.
For example, parents may ask their children to share their feedback with the waiter or the manager about the food they just ate at a restaurant.
2. Encourage Teens to Make Decisions and Take Accountability
The importance of leadership skills stretches to decision-making naturally. Parents should try not to make every decision for their children. Instead, children should be motivated to make everyday decisions for themselves and be accountable for how those decisions turn out.
Parents should be there as mentors for them and guide children along the way to ensure they stay on track.
But they should always remember that they cannot run the race for their children. Children should be made competent enough that they can make lemonade when life gives them lemons.
3. Encourage Teens to Work in Teams & Take the Lead
Taking the lead does not come easy. It requires constant practice. Good leadership qualities in children can be developed through regular discussions in classrooms and at home on contemporary topics.
A leader knows how to take everyone’s viewpoints into consideration, so team-building exercises are also a great way to go.
Instead of saying No to children on anything, parents should encourage them to negotiate and assert their stance. This is different from engaging in arguments. This is leadership in the making.
Key Takeaway
It’s not only that today’s teens are tomorrow’s leaders. They can be leaders today too and establish networks. And that’s where leadership skills in teenagers come into the picture.