As a child growing up, I learned alot of things, such as the expectation to do well in school, make good grades, listen to your teacher, and respect your elders. I also learned to get along with others and how to work well with my peers. The one thing I didn’t really grasp as I should have, was the importance of learning to be a leader. When I say learning to be a leader, I don’t just mean being the head of something or just leading a group of people. Being a leader means so much more. It includes having your own ideas, believing in those ideas and knowing your ideas are just as important as anyone else’s. It also includes having the confidence in yourself enough to be willing to share those thoughts and ideas. Give them validation and understand that your ideas can make a difference somehow, somewhere.
Growing up also included the expectation of following the rules. Listen, pay attention, do as you’re told, and be on your best behavior. These we all must learn while growing up, but there must also be the understanding that rules can very well be changed or updated for the better. As much as I adapted to following the rules as a child, not always believing every rule was at its best, it never really dawned on me that I could be the one to come up with a better rule or that I could be the one to come up with an idea to make things better. This is what happens when you only adapt to the already set expectation of simply following the rules. You count on others, particularly those in authority, to know what’s best and to make any changes deemed necessary. But when you learn to be a leader, you give your thoughts more weight, you give them more attention, and are more likely to express them. You understand the value of your own thoughts and you understand it is expected of you to share what you know and what you’ve learned. Simply following the rules without thought is not acceptable.
As I raise my children today, I think on these very things and continue to remind myself of the lessons I missed in regards to being a leader and thinking as one. I now know how important it is to stress the necessity of becoming a leader, to teach my children to value their own ideas and to believe their thoughts matter. I now know that the phrase ‘be a leader’ is heard so much that it actually becomes nothing more than a cliche, unless you take the initiative to put action behind those very words. Understanding what the phrase really means and knowing the power behind it is what I keep in mind as I raise my children today. But how do we put those words into action? I believe if we help our children develop a habit of thinking consciously, paying attention to their thoughts and following through with ideas that come to mind, we lead them on the path to becoming an effective leader. Asking our children questions that encourage them to think about the things going on around them and around the world, sharing their thoughts about what should be different, is another way to mold the mentality of a leader. Also, knowing how and when to express such ideas is key in getting those ideas implemented and put into action. The more we encourage our children to express their ideas about the things they think need improvement and to develop a habit of doing so, the more likely they will develop the tools of being a leader.
Being a leader is something we must stress among our children on a consistent basis. Although things may not always change because of an expressed idea, it is also important to know that nothing changes if an idea is never expressed. In the quest for success and reaching goals, being a leader is an asset that each child must obtain if they wish to see continued progress in life. Understanding that with everything, there is always room for improvement and being open to learn new things are both necessary in striving for a leader’s mentality. This kind of foundation only leads to the confidence needed when the time comes to add one’s own personal expertise to that which needs to be changed and to that they wish to see flourish. To sum it up, it is important for all of us to develop leadership skills and be willing to share our ideas simply because without an idea, nothing around us would exist. Yes, everything around us began as a simple idea, somebody’s idea, somebody who had the courage to believe, share, and find a way to implement that very idea. Because of that, being a leader is something we must all obtain and more importantly, pass on to our children, so they may be able to add their own personal touch to this world and become all they are capable of becoming.
Tawana R. Powell
Author of “Life Fulfilled, the Ultimate Goal” (Amazon.com)
www.tawanapowell.com
