7 Simple Ways to Find & Develop Your Child’s Leadership Voice

Every child has the potential of being a leader in a specific domain in his life. Some children have an inborn quality of being a leader, while some appear to be shyer and calmer. And while the popular opinion says that only the charismatic, extravert and outgoing children are going to be good leaders, this is false.

Leaders come from various backgrounds and there are all types of leaders. Some are more friendly and outgoing, while others are more introverted and calmer. However, leadership skills can be shaped from an early age and lots of people say they have learned their skills from their parents. As a parent, you have the power to lead by example and inspire your child to speak up his voice. 

1. Volunteer Together

One cannot be a leader without a team, so children need to learn how to interact with other people. One great idea would be to volunteer together. Find local initiatives that gather people to work for community projects. If you volunteer together, your child will have the opportunity to know how many people are involved in a project and how they work together towards the same goals.

For sure there will be obstacles to overcome, so your child will have an authentic experience. You will need to be part of a team and have responsibilities. Your child will have his parents as role models who help the community and people and animals in need. A leader must always help his team and work along with it. And your child will have the opportunity to make an impact on the life of another being, which is a great feeling. 

2. Communication Skills

By volunteering together, your child will learn the value of teamwork. But to develop his leadership voice, you need to communicate effectively. Children need to understand that they can speak up their minds, but with respect for others. They learn most of their habits because of the examples you give them, so keep in mind that parents are role models for their children.

Let your child see how you praise the people that deserve it and disagree respectfully with others. Children need to understand that communication is the key to greater cooperation. Through communication, they can discover and solve problems. But they also need to be aware of their emotions and labeling them correctly is the key.

So, for young children, it is important to teach them how to label their emotions correctly. Whenever they are frustrated, mad or sad, communicate with them.

For example, you can try to ask him questions like: “Are you angry because the other boy took your toy?” or “Are you frustrated because the Lego tower you built has collapsed?”. With communication and questions like these, your child will learn to label his emotions. And this is the base for effective communication, say experts from best essay writing service.

3. Encourage Them to Follow Their Dreams

Parents often fall into the trap of forcing their children to do what parents think it is better to do. But they are unique human beings that have their own dreams and goals. And forcing them to pursue careers or goals that are not fulfilling at all can be damaging for their leadership skills formation.

Children are very creative and it is not rare when they come up with crazy ideas. These can be very different from the ones of the parents, who have already imagined the future of their children. It is important to not cut his wings, but encourage your child to pursue his dreams.

You can do this also by brainstorming on different ways to make their dreams come true, especially when their ideas are not practical or conventional.

4. Listen

An important quality of a leader is to listen. People often listen just to reply, not to understand others. And as a leader that works with people and is leading a team, he needs to listen attentively.

So, teach your child to listen to understand what the other is saying or feeling. And you can best teach your child this if you are doing it. Remember that you are the first role model of your child, so act accordingly. 

5. Promote a Solution-Based Mentality

Lots of leaders stumble upon problems and it is their responsibility to find solutions to these problems. It is important not only the process but also the leader mentality. Help your child develop a positive mindset.

If he focuses on the problems, he will soon develop an “I cannot do this” mentality which is a huge drawback. It will prevent him from finding solutions to issues. Instead, you can help him shape a “How can I do this?” mentality.

Optimism towards the future will help your child find creative solutions to different issues, which is a very important skill for a leader. 

6. Teach Your Child the Value of Feedback

Feedback is an important part of a leader’s life. Not only does he have to give feedback, but he also has to ask for and receive it. Often, people feel attacked by other people’s feedback, and this prevents them from evolving.

It is important to teach your child that he must see people’s feedback as suggestions for improvement upon whether he decides to implement them or not. Children need to be aware that they must offer feedback based on someone’s actions and behavior.

Leaders must work within a team. And the whole team needs to pursue the same goals. How can you do this? You can start by giving him examples of how to give feedback and then be an example for him. Whenever he draws something, constructive feedback should be offered. 

7. Emphasize the Value of Reading

We can learn something new every day and most children are open to new activities. However, they need to acquire knowledge that will be beneficial for them in the long term. Leaders are always informed about the best practices, about motivation and teamwork.

They read to develop and improve their way of thinking. And because children are in a full developmental process, reading will help them learn new facts about their surroundings and understand others better.

How can you encourage your child to be a book lover? Besides being a role model and reading, you can take him with you at the library and let him pick the book. Also, encourage daily reading time and design a cozy reading spot for all of you. He will learn that a lot of information can be found in books and whenever they will need help writing college papers, they will know where to look for information. 

Conclusion

Finding and developing a child’s leadership voice might seem difficult, as you do not want to impose your ideas over him. It is important to teach your children the value of communication and how to listen attentively by being an example for him.

You can also help him label his emotions and promote a positive mindset focused on solutions. Volunteer together to give him the opportunity of seeing how a team works. Encourage your child to develop healthy habits, like daily reading time. Help children follow their dreams. 

Author bio:
Scott Mathews is an essay writer which offers resume help at Australian assignment help. He loves reading and writing is his passion. Besides working to write my thesis, he looks forward to publishing a book for children. Scott believes that parents should be role models for their children. He writes articles for parents to help them raise healthy and functional children.