We usually expect kids to learn how to lead when they grow older, or we sometimes realize that they have innate leadership skills that we unconsciously describe through the way that we see Leadership as adults. However, it is not common to look at kids’ or teens’ choices and decisions and recognize Leadership behind them. At the same time, we insist that learning soft skills is an important part of our children’s future and we keep repeating that raising a mentally strong child is something that we have to achieve. But what do we mean when we refer to mental strength? Is there an umbrella term that can include most of these soft skills?
We usually refer to specific soft skills and choose to create projects that aim to help students develop them. We focus on communication, cooperation, decision-making, problem-solving, confidence, responsibility and other skills that we consider important for their development. But what if we had to use an umbrella term that includes most of the valuable soft skills that we expect our children to develop? Leadership could be an excellent example. Leading includes decision-making, active listening, communication, cooperation, responsibility and many of the skills that we need if we want to take the lead in our lives first. So why don’t we focus on teaching Leadership from a young age?
Have you ever thought that kids start practicing Leadership when they make their first simple decisions? Have you ever realized that cooperating at school and communicating with others are some of the first Leadership skills that young learners develop? Leadership for young learners means discovering themselves, learning to act with others, making conscious decisions and leading real initiatives. This does not mean that we can teach Leadership in the same way at all ages. It also does not mean that we should wait for young learners to grow older in order to show them that taking the lead is something they will be capable of doing later in their lives.
Leadership starts with self-awareness, and young learners need to understand what they stand for. They need to understand that their choices have meaning and that their actions can affect themselves and the people around them. This is where Leadership education can start. A young learner does not need to lead a large group of people in order to start developing Leadership. They need to start understanding themselves, making choices, expressing their ideas, listening to others and taking responsibility for what they decide to do.
As children grow, their Leadership experiences can also become more complex. Young learners can begin by making simple decisions and learning how to cooperate with others. Older children can take more responsibility, communicate their ideas, solve problems and work with others towards a common goal. Teenagers can develop their own ideas, make more conscious decisions, lead projects and take responsibility for initiatives that involve other people. The way we teach Leadership should therefore change according to the age and development of the learner, but the need to develop Leadership does not have to wait until adulthood.
This is also why Leadership should not be confused with being the most confident child in the classroom, being the person who speaks the most or being the child who naturally takes control of a group. These behaviors may sometimes be connected with Leadership, but Leadership is much broader than that. A young learner can develop Leadership by listening to another person, changing their mind after considering new information, making a difficult decision, respecting a different opinion or taking responsibility when something does not go as planned.
If we want children to develop Leadership, we need to give them opportunities to practice it. We cannot expect them to develop decision-making skills without allowing them to make decisions. We cannot expect them to communicate effectively without giving them opportunities to express their ideas. We cannot expect them to cooperate without allowing them to work with others and experience the challenges that cooperation brings or see them take responsibility if adults always make the decisions for them.
Leadership education therefore needs to move beyond projects that simply teach individual soft skills. It needs to give young learners opportunities to use these skills together and understand why they need them. When children make decisions, communicate, cooperate, solve problems and take responsibility for real situations, they are already developing Leadership. This is why I believe that Leadership can become an important part of education from a much younger age. We do not need to wait until children become adults, become managers or take responsibility for a team before we introduce them to Leadership. They are already making decisions, interacting with others and developing their own understanding of themselves and the world around them.
The question is not whether young learners are old enough to learn Leadership. The question is how we can introduce Leadership in a way that is appropriate for their age and meaningful for their lives.
Leadership should not be confused with being the most confident child in the classroom, being the person who speaks the most or being the child who naturally takes control of a group. These behaviors may sometimes be connected with Leadership, but Leadership is much broader than that.