Unlocking Your Child's Leadership Potential

Wouldn’t it be great if we could mould our kids into becoming leaders of tomorrow? The good news is you can.

- Sameerah Karolia

We have leaders in all spheres of our lives. Companies are run by CEO’s, schools by headmasters, sports teams by Captains, media houses by publishers, businesses by directors, and the home by parents. But why is it so important to have leaders? Simply put, leaders tend to be the glue that holds everything together. They find the appropriate people to become a part of their team, motivate everyone to work towards a common goal, solve problems and conflict, take accountability, make decisions and ensure that everything runs smoothly. It can therefore be said that, in order for any team to be successful, a strong leader is required.

ARE YOU BORN A LEADER OR IS IT AN ACQUIRED SKILL?

Cape Town-based educational psychologist, Hanlie Snyman-Gerritse, says, “Many people are under the misconception that leadership skills come naturally to certain people; however, everyone has the potential to develop these skills and this development usually begins in childhood.” Lloyd Ripley-Evans, an educational psychologist from Johannesburg, believes that we need to encourage the development of leaders from a young age, so that the constructive ripple effect of this can be felt for generations to come.

HOW CAN WE TURN OUR KIDS INTO LEADERS OF TOMORROW?

By identifying qualities that we admire in our leaders, we can try to empower our youth by instilling these same qualities within them. Some of these include:

Good communication skills

Problem-solving/decision-making skills

Self-belief and confidence

The ability to delegate and motivate others

Honesty and respect

A sense of humour

Commitment

A positive attitude

Creativity and intuition

Proactive reactions to situations

Open to new ideas and change

Independent thinking

Understanding of self, people and situations