Global Game Changers Shares 8 Tips For Building Strong Leaders

Global Game Changers Children’s Education Initiative, Inc. (GGC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing social-emotional learning (SEL) and character and leadership development curricula for pre-K through 5th-grade students, shares these eight tips to help plant the seeds of leadership in children.

Developing kids into leaders will support their careers no matter which path they choose. It gives them the tools they need to engage with others. Helping kids understand the critical distinction between a leader and a boss will ensure they value the skills of leadership over the power of command.

1. Charge them with responsibility.
Often, leaders have to balance many competing responsibilities. Make sure the workplace isn’t the first place your child encounters this. Giving them a responsibility within your home can help prepare them to understand the importance of getting a job done, doing it well, and being part of a community.

2. Show them examples.
There are many, easily accessible examples of poor or thoughtless leadership. Make sure to expose your children to leaders whose choices you value. The “How Leaders Lead” podcast engages multiple leaders from across multiple professions. Help children also see leaders in places other than TV or social media. Don’t forget to take it further than “I think X person is a good leader.” Share why, or what you admire about their leadership style.

3. Lean into talents.
Not all leaders are built the same. Some excel at motivating others to get a job done, some focus on how to get the job done most efficiently, some are good at seeing the bigger picture, and some are better at focusing on the small details. Adults can help each child find, improve, and apply the talent-focused leadership trait they feel most comfortable with.

4. Build planning skills.
Leaders achieve their goals through planning, but planning is a skill that can take time to develop. Help your child see how planning can impact outcomes by engaging them in planning a vacation or weekend day. Planning can also help build other skills, including research and budgeting.

5. Teach respect.
The Golden Rule is echoed across time and across civilizations. Help your child learn how to respect others, starting at home, by starting from empathy. Instead of introducing the grand concept of respect, consider having discussions about the practical applications, like “How can we show respect when …” or “Treating others with respect means that I will …”.

6. Normalize learning from mistakes.
Leadership isn’t about being right all the time. Help your kids understand that admitting a weakness or mistake helps them become stronger. You can’t change courses or fix a problem without identifying the problem in the first place. Share stories of individuals who have conquered failure to become leaders in their field, or inventions gone wrong that were refocused into well-known successes, like the Slinky or chocolate chip cookies.

7. Value learning.
Thinking you know everything, ever, can be a recipe for failure. Sometimes the circumstances around us change beyond what we can anticipate. Good leaders spend a lot of time learning and adapting to these changes. Engage in a thought exercise to explore how businesses have changed (or failed to change) in response to a changing world. For example, what would have happened if the United States Postal Service had continued to deliver mail by horse long after cars were invented?

8. Build leadership experiences.
Support your child’s engagement in leadership experiences throughout their career. Encourage them to consider how they can become leaders during the school day or during their extracurriculars. Advocate for an intentional leadership program in your schools, and help them pursue specific leadership opportunities such as running for class president. The more kids engage in leadership, the more comfortable they will become!

About Global Game Changers
Global Game Changers Children’s Education Initiative, Inc. (GGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing social-emotional learning (SEL) and character and leadership development programs that empower students to overcome apathy, feel empathy, and foster a sustainable connection to service. To support this mission, GGC offers a free superhero-themed curriculum (MY TALENT + MY HEART = MY SUPERPOWER!®) to schools, after-school programs, and summer programs reaching more than 1,000 schools and 250,000 students in 49 states and 13 countries around the world. The pre-K through 5th grade curriculum is made possible by the Novak Family Foundation, who believes in equitable access for all educators and students. For more information or to get involved, visit globalgamechangers.org.