It is common at the beginning of a new year or new quarter to set goals for yourself. When it comes to parenting do you ever set goals? What about setting goals on how to raise leaders for the future? Perhaps you want to review your parenting style or set a goal to spend more quality time with your children?
Are Leaders Born or Raised?
Leaders are not born, it takes intentional parenting to raise leaders. Here are a few things we believe are necessary when it comes to instilling the values that would lead to the characteristics of a leader.
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Values
Respect – Respect is a two-way street and a child who is respected as a child will understand the value of respect. A true leader will understand that true respect is not demanded.
Love – Children need to experience love and feel loved. Children should hear you tell them that they are loved and not just have to guess it by your actions.
Communication – Children who learn how to communicate will grow up to be good communicators. Start by actually listening to them from a young age. When children learn to express themselves, they are more self-confident to express themselves. Some parents stifle this by hushing them by saying “you talk too much” or shutting them up. Effective leaders know how to communicate.
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Independence – Teach your children to be able to make decisions and to take responsibility. Through good communication, children learn to discuss how they feel and invariably make the right choices when it matters. Let them take part of decision making as appropriate.
Kindness – A child who learns kindness learns to be kind. It starts from the home environment, is it a nourishing and enabling environment? When a child sees their parents treating themselves with love, they can avoid abusive relationships. A true leader learns how to communicate without resorting to violence or use of force.
Solution Provider – Leaders do not see problems they see solutions, rather than say “I can’t” they replace it with “How Can I”. Leaders do not give up without trying their best in every given situation and are not scared of trying.
[Read: Is your Parenting Style Raising Monster Kids]
Above all children who feel loved and cared for will have all these values as their foundation and the right foundation offers the right compass for life.
So raise your game with your parenting and aspire to raise leaders for the future.
