Teach That Child To Lead Himself/Herself — Part 1
2020 is that year that people see once in a lifetime. However, such years usually reset things and also bring out innovative ways of doing things. Go through history, which I believe most people have read or heard and you will see the changes that happened to mankind documented.
That year has come and gone with changes recorded. Some rude awakening befell us all. Some people were ready for it, more were not. A few people who have sat in one class or the other that I facilitated in would remember that I always talked about changes that will happen in the way we work, with particular reference to flexy and remote working, to align us with the developed world, making us global. They have happened and we are all adjusting fast. Talk about learning some new skills or be left behind.
Children were separated from parents for months and have to suddenly begin to take big decisions on their own, which included waking up and taking themselves to where they want to go. It was widely said that, 2020 recorded the highest rate of depression in our time.
Parenting is an assignment majority are not prepared for, just like marriage. We are simply thrust into it suddenly by design or default and have to learn as we go. Some succeed at it, others fail. Even those who believe that they have succeeded at it must live soberly, surprises can spring up just when you think you have done well. Besides, the grand children are coming, they may totally reject the values you transferred down and choose less empowering ways to do things. So we keep going back to their real owner-God, daily for direction.
One of the things that will help your child/children navigate this complex world will be leadership-Personal Leadership. Ability to wake up and take him/herself towards where he/she wants to go.
Read this excerpt from my book (BECOMING A LEADER) for your young child and make him read it too.
INTRODUCTION
Leadership is a topic that is increasingly being researched for insight. Some authors have tried to enlighten us on this relatively new concept. Sir Peter Parker says, "leadership is one of those elusive priorities, an area in which there is no absolute, nor guaranteed model. So it turns out to be not only vital but also fun to talk about "what makes a leader".
There are two theories that tried to tell us how a leader emerges. The first is the trait theory and the second is the functional group approach. The first approach assumes that leaders are born and not made. These leaders have inherited characteristics which distinguish them from followers. It is also known as the great theory.
The functional approach believes that the skills of leadership can be learnt, developed and perfected. This approach has been proven over time by organizations that have sought out people with leadership potential, and exposed them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Today the saying that "Leaders are born not made" has been changed to "Leaders are not born but made", so everyone can do it. I will not totally discard the first, I would rather say "Leaders are not only born, but can be made too". This is because I have seen genetic inheritance of leader traits in people.
Children from primary school through secondary to the tertiary institutions are exposed to leadership development either by positional authority like prefectship or assigned tasks. They are being made to understand that, someone does not have to be the boss to be a leader.
Leadership is something that is being spoken about every so often, and because people are earnestly seeking those who will provide authentic leadership for our society, it follows that there is dire want of knowledge on leadership in our society today. Everyone knows what a leader should do and how such should act but who is taking time to be one or raising one for the future.
WHO IS A LEADER?
A leader is someone who makes people do what they would not have done had he/she not spoken to them. A leader makes things happen by having a vision and making others see what he/she can see. What rather we see today, is someone who is called a leader either by position of authority or by the way he/she does things. The first is erroneous, the second comes close to it. The first one is given legal authority through positional power to lead other people but may not necessarily make things happen. The second is someone who, even without positional power impacts his or her surrounding by virtue of what the person does. To become such a leader, a young girl or boy must be seen to be doing and saying things that brings benefits to others. People who behave that way definitely have what is called vision.
Vision is defined in Webster's dictionary as imaginative foresight; vision of future greatness. I define it as the future in the mind's eye superimposed on reality. Reality is where you are right now, but where you are going is very vivid in your mind's eye and it drives you. That, is vision.
Ask that child on your hands for a vision of the kind of boy or girl he/she wants to be and the kind of young man or woman he/she wants to become. With a vision of him/her now and in the future, he/she is likely to write a beautiful script and live it; Without one, someone will give him/her a script to live by.
Make that child a leader — https://amzn.to/3HW6Cel