How to Raise a Leader You Can Be Proud Of

Inside: It’s not just about being a leader, it’s about parenting skills, life lessons, and how to raise a leader you can be proud of. Do you know the qualities of a successful leader that you should be teaching your kids?  

She was my boss … and the bossiest of them all.  This woman, though in a leadership position, wasn’t grateful or encouraging of those beneath her.  Honestly, she wasn’t great with anyone.

Regardless of her title or salary, this was not someone I considered a successful leader.

Though she was in a leadership role, it was very difficult to take direction from someone who seemingly didn’t remember what it was like to be the low man on the totem pole.  Her actions and words gave no indication she was deserving of the respect she commanded.  Working with her was one of the most difficult business situations I’d been in.

As a mom, the best I can hope to do is to teach my children to become successful leaders.  It’s okay to want the perks of being a leader, but few people these days seem to want to invest the time and energy to grow into a successful leader.  And to do so, it’s imperative to learn great leadership qualities, especially respect and trust.

So, I want to start, now, to establish the qualities a successful leader should have.  And, if we start teaching our kids these qualities early, they’ll be a step ahead of the rest.

Leaders are extremely important in our society.  True leaders, though, are the ones who are able to form their own beliefs and opinions, instead of simply following others.  They’re able to determine between right and wrong, regardless of what the majority believes blindly.  And, they’re able to make difficult decisions.  Not to mention, they’re able to cultivate good qualities in others, not simply boss them around.

Below are some qualities a successful leader should have.  Focus on these to begin to raise a good leader.

How to Raise a Leader People Will Like

Learning to Follow

For those who don’t like taking orders, they may feel being the leader solves their problems.  Giving out orders can sound really appealing to those individuals.

However, as a successful leader, it’s important to learn how to follow the lead of others as well.

By following other good leaders, one can gain wisdom and direction from them.  This will help you stay humble and to remember the needs of those under you because you will have been in their shoes.

Letting Others Shine

There is a time and a place for everyone to shine.  Remind your child that a good leader will seek out and shine a light on others’ good qualities.  They should let others have their moment in the spotlight.

Making others feel good about themselves is another great quality of a successful leader.  Being certain to give others moments to shine ensures your success.

Working with Others

My husband always tells me his employees love working with him.

“With him.”

As a director, he could easily sit back and bark orders, but he’s a hands-on part of his team.

Your child’s ability to lead is greatly enhanced when he learns to work with others as a team.  Everyone loves a leader who is “one of them.”

Teach your child co-operation to help him become a leader who is well-liked and known for their great qualities as a team player and a respectful person.

Being Open to Constructive Criticism

We’re all open to criticism, but as a leader, we’re under the microscope.  As a leader, you’re the face of a group, department, company, or another capacity.

Teach your children to see criticism in a good way.  If someone appears or says something critical of your child’s leadership, discuss with them what could be taken from it.  Help him to learn to answer “what can I learn and apply from the criticism to become better?”

Teach him to stand up for himself if he’s attacked, but to learn from it whenever possible.

Being a leader isn’t quite what it appears.  You know the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side.”

If you like these tips, you can check out more childhood lessons here.  Plus, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss another post like this!  With your subscription, you’ll receive access to a FREE subscriber-only resource library for parents, which now includes a new FREE report about the lessons children need to learn.  I’d love to have you follow me!

When You Raise a Good Leader …

By teaching your child the true meaning of leadership, you help them to gain strength, humility, and respect.  Remind them of the importance of the leaders we see in our society.  Help them to understand that many eyes are watching them determine what’s right, so leaders have to keep their motives in check.  And, the world will greatly benefit from trustworthy, successful, and respectable leaders.

How to Raise a Leader originally appeared on this site October 2017 and has been updated.