Leadership for children

Early leadership skills help children to have more self-confidence, solve problems creatively, work more effectively in teams and collaborate with others. The positions of leading a group or a mini-group (different projects, sports groups, school contexts or fun games) are part of the daily life of students, especially starting from the secondary school cycle. Often times, being a leader comes with a set of challenges, and children who take on these roles need to show flexibility, creativity and perseverance. 

Once the role of leader is assumed, a series of transformations will appear in the child's personality structure:

• The child becomes more responsible

To take on a leadership role, the child must be responsible for himself, but also for others, supporting them in different situations. It is important that this responsibility comes gradually and accompanied by many discussions with the parents/responsible adults in his life.

• Teamwork skills are trained 

An effective leader works as part of a team. This requires cooperation, the ability to manage potential conflicts, the constant display of empathy, active listening and a growth mindset. All of this can be overwhelming for little ones, but playing a team sport, doing schoolwork as part of a group, and sharing homework with siblings or parents are useful exercises to help children practice these skills. 

• Communication becomes more effective

A leader must be able to clearly and confidently deliver a speech/argument/presentation to others. Effective communication is a superpower that children need in everyday life, whether or not they step into a leadership role. Outlining some arguments and presenting them with confidence can be trained when the child participates in debate competitions either with friends, colleagues or even family and in public speaking workshops.

• The level of adaptability is higher

The ability to adapt is essential in the daily life of each of us. In a constantly changing and challenging world, children need to develop and train an open and flexible attitude. Among the most popular Ted Talks is that of Roselinda Torres, a leadership expert at the Boston Consulting Group, in which the importance of employee adaptability within companies is emphasized.

• Empathy is used more and more often

More and more papers in the specialized literature point to a direct correlation between the financial success and long-term stability of a company with the degree of empathy shown by the leaders and employees of that company. Children who are more empathetic build and maintain stronger relationships and resolve conflicts in a more balanced way. Empathy is one of the key elements of successful leadership and helps children not only in school contexts but also in everyday life.  

Students (and adults) learn best through modeling and experience. Students need to see how teachers, parents, and other adults in their lives demonstrate leadership through their actions. Children need the opportunity to apply leadership skills in ways that reinforce what they learn in school. 

Why are leadership skills important for children?

 #Steve Jobs and Elon Musk trained their leadership skills from an early age. 

Children often want to take initiative and take on coordinating roles. Therefore, they need support from adults and the necessary contexts to form their leadership skills. KEN Academy is the perfect opportunity for children to develop, train their communication skills, empathy, coordination and organization skills.

De 12 ani, sute de copii participă în taberele noastre. Am lansat taberele de vară:

• KEN Camp – LIDERII LA JOACĂ/ Predeal / 07 – 12 iulie 2024 / 7 – 11 ani
• KEN Camp – STEP OUT, SPEAK UP / Berca/ 21 – 26 iulie 2024 / 10 – 14 ani
• KEN BUSINESS CAMP/ Predeal / 25 – 30 august 2024 / 8 – 13 ani

*Article written by Veronica Dunga, KEN Academy trainer.