Leadership Skills for Kids

They say, childhood is the best time to inculcate leadership skills. However, here is no secret method for grooming your child to take up the responsibility of leadership. If you want your child to turn into a good leader in his adulthood, here are some values that need to be taught in order to nurture leadership skills in your kids.

Seven Basic Values for Leadership
"Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others." - Barbara Bush
Serving Others
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 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.

"A person doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example." - Joe DiMaggio
Becoming an Idol
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.

"Talkers have always ruled. They will continue to rule. The smart thing is to join them." - Bruce Barton
Effectively Communicating
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 clearly communicates goals or plans to his team.

Teach your 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.

"Every team needs a hero, and every hero needs a team." - Anonymous
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.

"Success is just a decision away." - Anonymous
Decision Making
You must teach your child to make his or her own decisions early in life, irrespective of the consequences. This is because, a good leader is always looked upon as a good and quick decision maker. People do not want leaders who hesitate or get uncomfortable while making decisions.

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. Teaching your child to play the game of chess is a good way to develop this skill.

"The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way." - Henry Boye
Negotiating
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 other's point of view. Effective leadership qualities include the ability to give and take while working with others. There is a thin line of difference between a good leader and a dictator. To be a leader, one must be able to compromise and negotiate, keeping the bigger picture in mind. For this, you will need to teach your kids to accept their mistakes.

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." - Winston Churchill
Forecasting 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 to the smallest detail. For children, large tasks can seem overwhelming, thus they need to be taught how to break them down into sections.
Imparting leadership skills is one the best gifts that you can give to your child. It will make him independent, responsible and diplomatic in the long run.