How to Develop Leadership Qualities in Your Child

When considering leadership qualities, admittedly, there are a lot of good qualities to name! How do you know what is the best quality to develop in your child? Where do you start? For young children, it is good to start developing foundational leadership skills within their circle of influence. Usually, this means starting with the self. Start developing internal qualities within your child in the context of your home. As children mature, they can add and build upon the qualities that they already possess.

1. Develop Self-Discipline

All great leaders possess this quality and it must be instilled in your child while they are young. One way to develop self-discipline is to assign chores or guidelines for keeping their personal space tidy. After playing with toys, do your kids have to make sure the space is cleaned up before dinner? What are your expectations for dirty clothes and clean laundry? Do you have a consistent routine for kids to do homework? Perfecting the skill of self-discipline takes time and repetition! Once this practice becomes a habit, your kids will be able to add other responsibilities with ease.

2. Take Ownership of Their Actions and Behavior

One great leadership quality we want for our children is for them to know that their words and actions make an impact on others around them. We all want our kids to do the right thing, and yet, sometimes they mess up. For example, our kids might lie to us. Toys get broken during play. Other times, mean words hurt a sibling’s or friend’s feelings. Mistakes are a part of life. However, it is the response to their mistake that makes a great leader. Here are some constructive ways to teach your child to take ownership of their actions and behavior:

Acknowledge their mistake

“I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“I’m sorry I broke the toy.”

Ask for forgiveness

“Will you forgive me?”

Make amends

“May I try that conversation again?”

“I should not have said that. What I should have said was…”

“Can I help fix that toy?”

3. Encourage Participation in Groups Outside the Home

Maybe your child likes to dance or play baseball? Maybe building robots or playing an instrument in the band is their “thing”? Having your child join a team is a great way to help them learn how to cooperate with others in the group. During practice, they will have exercises and drills to help them improve their individual skills. The performance or game will put their skills to the test. Participating in healthy competition will increase your child’s inner drive to improve in a really fun way!

Developing tomorrow’s leaders together,

Jaime