Creating future leaders

LEADERSHIP is not a subject you can learn in school. Yet, it’s probably the single most important asset to have. Contrary to popular belief, leaders actually come from all walks of life and in various shapes and forms. Leadership isn’t confined to just being the head of an organisation or the most popular student in school. Everyone can be a leader in his or own respective areas. A gardener can envision a fresh new look for the garden he tends. A teacher can find new ways to make learning fun. An employee can make the work exciting again by looking at the job through a different perspective. Even a poor kampung boy can start planning for a better future.

Opportunities are endless. All we need is the vision for a brighter future, the ability to take the steps to get there and the motivation to execute the plans. Sound daunting? Well, the good news is that all these are things that parents can train their children for.

LET THEM DO IT THEMSELVES Leadership begins at home. For a start, we must inculcate personal responsibility for everyone’s actions. Train the children to do things for themselves and not rely on others to get things done. Even if you have a maid at home, ask each child to take personal responsibility to wash his/her school shoes, tidy up his room and help with household chores. Even the little ones must be trained to pick up their own toys from as early as 2 years old.

Once the personal accountability becomes a habit, we can move on to bigger things. Beyond the home, we can also encourage them to take part in the kind of activities that would further build their leadership skills.

In school, they should join meaningful activities that help to build strong characters. Encourage them to volunteer to be a part of or even organise co-curricular activities. School is probably the best training ground for future leaders if we know how to take advantage of its facilities.