Leadership & leaders: Why so important?

Define Leadership

Leadership is the ability to motivate a group of people to work towards achieving a common goal.

What are leadership skills?

Leadership skills are skills which can help your child feel confident in their abilities, allow them to communicate with people successfully and become more aware of their surroundings.

These skills focus on developing emotional intelligence and effective communication– allowing your child to build their confidence and showcase their natural personality and strengths.

What is so important about being a leader?

Understanding how to be a leader is very important in helping you navigate your way through life.

Knowing what type of leader you are helps you find confidence in your abilities, can make it easier for you to make decisions, allows you to focus on your goals and can truly support the way in which you communicate with people in your personal life and work life. Good leadership has the potential to inspire people.

How can I support my child's leadership skills?

You can support your child's leadership skills development by asking them about ‘everyday leadership’. Help them see the everyday opportunities there are to positively impact others.

It is always best to create conversations and discussions about leadership; get them inquisitive and reflective on what makes a leader and what skills a leader possesses. Ask them if they believe they themselves portray any of these skills or if they have witnessed a friend, teacher or a parent illustrate these skills. By noticing and appreciating everyday forms of leadership, it will help your child understand the different ways they can apply their leadership skills in their day to day life.

What qualities does a leader have?

There are many qualities a good leader can possess to help them in becoming a successful leader.

These qualities can include being an active listener, empathetic, confident, motivational, supportive, proactive and trustworthy.

Why is leadership important to children?

Leadership skills help children understand that they can govern their own lives.

Leadership instils confidence, emotional intelligence, self-belief and helps children solve problems creatively, lead a team and work collaboratively with their peers. Leadership gives children the opportunity to develop and practice responsibility.

How do you explain leadership to a child?

A leader is someone who others follow because they are great motivators, they have vision and they actively listen.

A leader is someone who supports their team and encourages collaboration in order for goals to be achieved. A leader does not have to be a Prime Minister or a Captain, a leader can be anyone if they work with and have an influence on others.

What makes a good leader?

A good leader has focus, humility, integrity, courage, passion and knows how to collaborate with and lead a team.

A leader understands their team’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their own and utilises these to succeed. By knowing your own strengths and weaknesses it allows a leader to work effectivity with others.

How can my child become more of a leader?

Teach them to embrace failure, focus on developing emotional intelligence and involve them in decision making.

Give your child independence (where appropriate), encourage team activities, teach patience, kindness (empathy) and try to set a good example yourself, lead by example.