A growing child begins a self-discovery journey during the teen years when they build upon their inherent personalities. With so much happening in those teenage years, it would be great to imbibe leadership skills into their personality. According to research, half of the UK adult population believes leadership skills are important, especially in the workplace. What better way to start than in those teenage years when they learn more about themselves? Doing this early can build confidence and give them a competitive edge in the job market in future. Here are a few practical steps to help your teenager become a good leader.

Allow them to explore mentorship opportunities

Mentorship is a valuable leadership development tool for teenagers. The primary role of a mentor is to provide guidance, support and feedback. A mentor will be handy as your teen is discovering themselves and learning new things about the world and life. It can be you, a relative, your partner, or a teacher in school, but the idea is to help your teenager identify someone they can look up to as a guide. For a teenager, this can mean the world to have someone whose role is not to judge their actions. At that stage, a teenager is open to new perspectives and ideas, which a mentor can effectively utilise. The teen years are usually when your children better understand future career prospects, and that is one area in which a mentor can provide valuable insights. As a parent or guardian, knowing who the mentor is to enhance your teenager’s safety is advisable.

Build their interest in extracurricular activities

Many educational facilities make it a point to provide extracurricular activities as avenues for children to discover their potential. Therefore, when your teenager expresses interest in joining a school club, it helps to support the idea. Encourage them to become active participants and, if possible, broach the subject of seeking leadership roles. Motivate them to do this through active participation in decision-making and problem-solving activities. Remember not to be forceful in these interactive engagements, as that could turn off a teenager. Your role is to provide the needed support from the sidelines and not appear to be forcing your teen to lead teams. Admittedly, every teenager has a distinct personality, and sometimes, leadership skills are not dominant traits. Therefore, it would be best to approach this with a lot of care and caution. Consider other options like summer holiday camps for your teenager to build their skills and expose them to new people, environments and opportunities.

Model good leadership behaviour

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Studies reveal that most children subconsciously learn behaviours from their parents or primary carers. This finding indicates how vital it is to model good leadership habits at home. Contrary to erroneous perception, leadership is not about bossing people around. It requires valuable qualities, such as integrity, honesty, empathy, and respect for others. As a parent or primary guardian, your leadership display can manifest in how you manage the home, the tasks you delegate and your dedication to making ethical decisions. Your teenager must also see you demonstrate healthy collaborations with others and effective communication to resolve conflicts. The more you do this, the better the chances of your teenager learning leadership qualities firsthand from you. The different scenarios will present perfect opportunities for your teenager to learn how to apply leadership skills to all aspects of life.

Last, but not least, teaching your teenager to embrace failure as a normal part of life is critical. When you teach them to deal with failure healthily and constructively, you will succeed in building their emotional intelligence, which is a crucial quality in a good leader.