"Leadership Development - Secure The Future"
This is a blog post that discusses the importance of developing leadership potential in future generations and the changes required to improve this process.
- Why it is important to teach leadership skills
- How children develop skills - What needs to be done - How this will affect people's lives in the future - What steps are already being taken now to create leaders.
Why is it important for children to learn about leadership skills?
The ability of leaders to be able to create lasting change depends on the leader's capacity for vision, passion, empathy and care. This is not something that can be developed overnight. Not every individual will have these qualities on their own, therefore it is important for children to learn about leadership as early as possible. Learning about different leadership styles, how they work and the best practices that each style has used throughout history will allow children to see what qualities their leaders possess. Many studies have been done in the field of child development that show how effective this kind of education can be. One such research study was conducted around the Californian school system. It was found that the students who had access to leadership resources during kindergarten and first grade schools in the California school system, showed a considerable improvement in their self-esteem, academic performance and behavior. They also reported higher levels of determination, concentration and motivation.
The benefits of teaching leadership skills young have a profound effect on our society as a whole. The children who are taught these skills now will become the leaders of tomorrow. The next generation will inherit a world that needs leaders, more than ever before. Many will be trained to become leaders in some shape or form and it is essential that they are prepared at an early stage to be able to fulfill this responsibility. The earlier they begin to learn about leadership, the more time they will have to practice and grow. As they grow in experience, they will then be better equipped to hold the positions of authority that will enable them to create change in society. If a global problem, such as climate change is ever going to be resolved, people will have to be willing to lead the way by making changes in their own lives. This attitude can only be adopted by someone who has been taught about leadership skills and understands how important it is for everyone who is involved with a project, (no matter how small or large) to feel valued, respected and be actively involved in influencing how that project works out. A person who understands this concept will have the ability to effect positive change in the world.
How is leadership developed?
The way that children learn leadership skills is different from adult learning because children still have to be taught in such a way that they are interested and want to learn more. When growing up, we tend to take our teachers for granted, but most teachers are able to connect with their student's interests and adapt their teaching styles accordingly. Children often laugh when they say 'I learnt everything at school', but it is true that children are not just being taught facts and figures at school, they are being taught how to think and how to work with other people. Children pick up on their teachers' ways of working and behavior, this is why it is so important that they have a positive role model who has good leadership skills.
The way children learn leadership skills can be through observation. Children have the ability to observe other peoples' behaviors very closely and they pick up in detail on every single action, whether it be verbal or non-verbal communication. When a leader is being observed closely by everyone else in a group, people are taking note of how the leader interacts with everyone and how they take charge. This is something that adults sometimes forget to do when working with others, so watching how leaders interact with others especially when there are problems to solve can provide valuable insights into the motivations and actions of real leaders.
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