Empower Children's Leadership

Many children grow up feeling pretty powerless. They think that they have no control over their own lives nor an ability to make a difference for someone else. It is important to the future of the planet that we alter that, and provide children a sense of their own power in a gently guided manner.

Children face decisions on a daily basis that are opportunities to show leadership; however, they have very few adults encouraging them to take the chance. Many times, adults (without meaning to) discourage children from using their logical brains to make good choices. If adults simply give good examples, and then stand back and watch, children can and do show extraordinary leadership in their lives.

Take the example of a new girl in school trying to approach a clique and make new friends in her new school. The other girls have a choice. Each individual girl can allow the new girl into her group, or she can succumb to "group think" and behave nastily toward the girl due to the pressure to want to fit in and not be ostracized.

Imagine if the girls had each been empowered by a class, or by example, on how to handle inviting the new girl into their group. Now imagine instead that each girl has witnessed examples of their own parents not inviting new people into the fold, or even actually seeking to keep new people out -- what choice with the girls make?

Empowering children to make choices in their lives, threatens many well meaning adults because they fear they will lose control over the child. To some degree that may be true, but teaching children empathy, self-control, and decision-making skills by allowing them to experience the natural consequences of their choices (good or bad) is the best thing adults can do for children. Remember, at some point, your children will be out of your site and need the ability to make good choices.

Unfortunately, many so-called leaders in school are actually bullies, and it will take extraordinary leadership in the lives of the children to overcome the will of the bullies. The only way this can happen is if adults empower children to be leaders in their own lives, first - because true leaders do take responsibility for their life, and then the world around them.

Effective leadership skills start by teaching children how to have self-control. Self-control is something that children learn by example, practice, and encouragement from the adults around them. Without positive examples, it can be a hard lesson for children to grasp which is why in school programs developed around the notion of empowering children's leadership potential is imperative to creating real and lasting change that will make a difference in their life.