Developing Good Leadership Skills

Are leaders born or made? Developing good leadership skills may not help guarantee future success, but it does teach kids responsibility and empathy for others, skills that serve anyone well in life.

Watch your child at play with others. Who seems to take the lead in determining what game or activity will be played? Who is listened to, and in what way is your child getting the attention of his or her peers? Does it seem that one or two members of the group are accepted as the leaders?

While some people say that certain people are "born leaders," leadership skills can and should be learned by everyone, beginning at a young age. Leadership traits that are easily identifiable include self confidence, organizational skills, problem solving, creative thinking and being able to motivate others. While some of these traits may come easy to some people, everyone has the capacity to develop them. Developing good leadership skills can help one to succeed in many ways, including school and social circles.

There are ways that parents can encourage their children to develop leadership skills. Regardless of a child's personality, or whether she is shy or outgoing, leadership skills can be nurtured. The goal isn't to turn the child into someone she is not, but rather to help instill a confident sense of self that will help her succeed in school and life for years to come. Here are some of the key leadership traits, and how to aid their development in your children.

Self-Confidence
Leaders seem to have a confidence about them that inspire others to be confident in their leadership. Self-confidence comes from having a sense of self-understanding. Healthy self-confidence means that a person knows where he excels, and also knows his limitations. To nurture these traits of self-acceptance and self-confidence, parents should celebrate the areas in which a child is strong, and encourage him to take on leadership roles in those areas.

For example, if your daughter is good at reading, encourage her to read to younger children in the neighborhood. If your son is good at soccer, encourage him to play soccer with his friends, or encourage him to ask a coach for more responsibility. Taking on teaching or a responsible role in an activity that is a strength can encourage self-confidence and leadership initiative. Some studies also show that having a strong and encouraging adult role model is key to building self-confidence.

Organizational Skills
Good leaders are organized. They seem to know how to delegate and prioritize to get a task started and help it progress to its conclusion. People turn to a leader for guidance on dividing up the work and getting it done.

You can develop good organizational skills in your child by teaching him how to be organized at home. This could include making a priority list of homework and chores, and checking off the tasks as they are completed. Another way to teach organizational skills is by working with your child to help organize her room. Allow the child to suggest ways to categorize toys, art supplies, games, sports equipment and dolls. Help her carry out the plan. You may need to buy some bins or shelves and make some labels. Teaching organizational skills can help your child outside the home as well. Encourage your child to start a club for a favorite hobby, and to organize the meetings and flyers about the club's activities..

Problem Solving
Leadership skills include problem-solving abilities. When confronted with issues, leaders are able to see the big picture, figure out ways to solve the problem and find the best possible solution. Problem solving is easy to develop through games that involve brainstorming, weighing options and role playing.

Involve your child in decisions when something needs to be figured out, such as when bad weather causes a change in plans, or even figuring out what to make for dinner. Let him help you look at what food is available and what would be the best combination for a meal or a main course. Role playing games are a fun way to do this as well. Propose a problem, and let your child brainstorm the possible solutions. Then act them out, finally deciding which solution was the best.

Creative Thinking
Leadership skills include being able to think "outside the box" to find ways to solve problems. Creative thinking skills are the easiest and often the most fun to develop. Writing stories, poems, songs and drawing are all ways to develop creative thinking. Creative thinking uses the left side of the brain, and nurturing these processes helps strengthen the logical side as well. Parents can encourage creative thinking by playing games, such as trying to find the most creative uses for an object, answering riddles, rewriting lyrics to songs and doing arts and crafts projects together.

Motivational Skills
Leaders know how to inspire and motivate others to follow their lead. If a child has self confidence and at least one of the other leadership skills mentioned, motivational skills are a natural byproduct.

In order to motivate others, a leader needs to be heard. Encourage your child to speak assertively, yet maintain politeness. Good leaders are not bossy or insulting, but complimentary and confident. Extracurricular activities like the debate club, student-run radio or TV stations or the drama club are all good ways to build public confidence and speaking skills.

Role plays are an excellent way to develop motivational skills as well. Reading together out loud is a way to help your child gain confidence in public speaking or to simply talk to a group of friends without feeling shy. Try to read with your child several evenings a week, and encourage him to read to you. You can trade off pages, or let him do the reading. Both the special time with you and the practice reading out loud can help develop confidence in speaking in front of others.