Inspiring and motivating the new generation to become leaders in their fields is one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of looking after them. But before our children can grow up to become the CEO of a company or maybe even the President of their country, the qualities of a true leader should be instilled in them from childhood. This could be by taking on the position of a team captain, a school captain, or a club leader, among others. 

Parental and authority figures, be they actual parents, teachers, and so on, play a large role in providing their children with the proper motivation and mindset to become leaders. By implementing the right communication tactics, you can integrate leadership values into your children and get them ready for the life ahead of them! 

Inspiring Leadership in Children

Fostering leadership qualities in children not only positively impacts the children themselves but also has beneficial effects on the adults in their lives. Results from a study related to leadership in children underscores the importance of engaging younger generations in significant decision-making processes to ensure inclusivity, equity and promote their overall developmental well-being. 

But what qualities and skills of a leader you can pass on to your children? Let’s take a closer look at a few of them.

  • Problem-solving: An incredibly important skill that any leader should be equipped with is the ability to solve problems efficiently. You can assist your children in developing this skill by guiding them through the process of addressing challenges in their own surroundings. Teaching them how to analyse problems as they arise, and considering various ways they can solve them by thinking up unique and creative solutions and selecting the most logical or effective option.  
  • Confidence: When thinking about the term “leader,” another essential trait that often comes to mind is confidence. Confidence plays a pivotal role in assuming control in various situations and effectively expressing one’s thoughts and ideas. You can do this by setting up achievable goals for your kids, providing them with positive and helpful feedback, and nudging them into situations that will promote their social and public speaking skills. It is also crucial to lead by example by modeling the same confidence that you wish to pass on to your children, as they will notice it and learn from your words and actions. 
  • Resilience and Persistence: Encourage your children to develop resilience and persistence by teaching them that leaders don’t easily give up. Emphasise the significance of perseverance in the face of setbacks and the value of holding their ground.
  • Communication: In order to be a leader, you have to be able to communicate your vision to those who follow you. Encourage your children to openly share their thoughts and feelings with you, while also being attentive when others speak. This will increase their ability to form bonds and establish themselves as a natural leader. 

Read: How Public Speaking Skills Prepares your Child to be a Leader of Tomorrow

leadership in children

Non-verbal communication

As mentioned above, good communication is a must-have quality in a leader. One form of it is non-verbal communication. Since your role of motivating your child to be a leader involves leadership qualities within you as well, you can utilise this form of communication to teach more such qualities to your children.  

Non-verbal communication involves conveying information via means other than spoken or written words. It relies mainly on cues derived from one’s body language, including facial expressions and gestures, and plays a large role in better understanding others’ thoughts and emotions.

Read: How can Parents develop Leadership Skills in children?

A study that looked into how non-verbal cues are used by children to make inferences about the social power of others provided some valuable insight. The research revealed that older children, in contrast to their younger counterparts, displayed an ability to discern individuals with higher power from those with lower power through their observation of non-verbal communication.

 Therefore, your children may potentially mirror non-verbal leadership cues after witnessing you make use of them. Here are some ways to employ non-verbal communication to instill traits of authority and leadership in the youth. 

  • Facial expressions: As your children navigate how to deal with more control and influence, you can use effective eye contact to guide them properly. Maintaining direct and uninterrupted eye contact communicates your genuine interest in their thoughts and fosters a stronger connection, boosting their self-assurance. Furthermore, maintaining a positive and warm attitude with a smile and calm expressions will increase your children’s likeliness of approaching you for more help and leadership advice. However, if you wish to convey authority through your expressions, it’s essential to first assess whether the situation calls for it. For example, you can employ direct and prolonged eye contact while subtly narrowing your eyebrows to convey disapproval when appropriate. By using this expression selectively, your child can gain an understanding of when and how to employ this kind of authoritative eye contact.
  • Body language: Keeping an upright posture and open stance will make you seem more approachable yet powerful to the children. Conveying this receptiveness is important when cultivating leadership qualities in children, as they tend to mirror your body language and learn how to communicate power non-verbally.         
  • Tone of voice: The way in which we say our words also holds significant power. The tone of our voices is considered to be an aspect of non-verbal communication, although it may seem otherwise. This is because it emphasises the manner in which words are conveyed, as opposed to the content of the words themselves. By speaking clearly and emoting as we do so, you can teach your child to do the same. It is important for a leader to focus on emotions and clarity to connect to their followers while also displaying their influence and power. 

Know about our Leadership Course for Kids

Implementing even some of these cues into your communication with your children will help them understand what it takes to be a leader and put these actions into practice.    

References:

Brey, E., & Shutts, K. (2014). Children Use Nonverbal Cues to Make Inferences About Social Power. Child Development, 86(1), 276–286. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12334 

Poirier, J., Gross, L., Lohrbach, A., Johnson, L., & Wilkie, S. (2020). Ensuring Young People Flourish: Applying the Science of Adolescent Development through the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative (pp. 1–20).