A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to be invited to join AM Northwest for an episode. As you might remember, my daughter, Sarah, israising money to build a well in Sudan, and the media has noticed! We ended up chatting about the importance of raising children to be leaders, and ways parents can really focus on that. It was such an exciting topic for me, as you might guess — leadership does not distinguish between ages. Leadership is a lifestyle, and your kids need you to teach them that. But how? Well, I thought I’d share a few of the points we touched on — but click here to watch the episode online!
First, don’t forget: It Takes A Village. This is the key point, really. The hard truth is we as parents can only do so much! Our child’s larger environment around them plays as big role — sometimes even bigger than our parenting does. Sarah’s school is very intentional about putting learning into action. They create an environment where change is possible, and this helps, a lot. Similarly, our neighbors and Sarah’s grandparents all chimed in with excitement about her project. Some did have doubts and challenged the achievability — but that’s OK. There are all types in a village; that’s the value. You can use all those comments in the learning process.
Speaking of which, remember where your teen is in their life. Think of them as “Leaders in Training.” This is important because adults often see resistance, apathy or laziness as proof that their teens aren’t leaders. This simply isn’t true. What is true is that they haven’t learned yet to see the bigger picture; they haven’t connected the dots and/or may be thinking that their drop of effort won’t really make a difference. It takes learning and practice to fail forward faster, and to find inspiration in the mountain that lies ahead of them. That’s not a natural skill, but it is natural to doubt and resist. Our persistence needs to outlast their resistance.
Because, as us parents well know, even teens will tell you they are not easily motivated. Between school, athletics, family chores and obligations, friends and so on, there are too few hours in the day and the thought of stepping up into a “leadership role” is often more than many teens can wrap their heads around. That’s okay, because there is truth in that. It’s just not the whole truth, and if we see that doubt as a learning opportunity to teach about time management and effective decision making skills, we can help our teens grow.
I’ll share more points next week, but I’d like to hear from you! Tell me: How do you teach your child about leadership?
