Now more than ever it is essential to instill positive values and skills in our children. It is our duty as parents to equip them with the tools they need to live, work, and thrive in our world. One of these tools is the ability to lead. Leadership can take so many different forms, and it is important to teach our children that they have the potential to make waves and be a positive force in the world no matter what their personality or talents are. Do you want to teach your child to lead like Christ? Check out these tips from some of our favorite titles.
Tips on Instilling Good Leadership Skills in Your Children:
- Help your children understand their weaknesses as well as their strengths
Alexandre Havard writes in Virtuous Leadership, “The humble man sees himself as he really is. He acknowledges his weaknesses and shortcomings, but also his strengths and abilities.” In order to help our children to be confident leaders, we must teach them that it is okay, and even good, to admit both where we struggle and where we do well. Offering constructive guidance in their downfalls and healthy praise in their successes, all clearly given from a place of unconditional love, are some ways to help children to grow in this sense of humility and become better leaders.
- Encourage both prayer and action
In his book, Coached By Joan of Arc, Harvard writes, “You have to pray, but you also have to act.” As parents, it is our priority to make sure our children pray, go to mass, and receive the sacraments. This is our responsibility and it is a very good thing to encourage our children to pray. However, it is also important that we teach our children to use the gifts that God has given them and to live out our faith not only spiritually, but physically as well. Teaching children to take action, to serve others with ready hands, to stand up for what is right, and to vocalize their faith are all important ways we can teach our children to lead.
- Lead by example
In Parenting for Character, Andrew Mullins emphasizes the importance of habits in forming our character. He asserts that good, healthy habits are taught by example and passed from parent to child. If we want our children to be good Catholic leaders, we must adopt the qualities of a good Catholic leader. We must strive for virtue, compassion, humility, and strength as the leaders of our own families in order to teach our children what good leadership should look like in their lives moving forward.
We hope you enjoyed these tips on instilling good leadership skills in your children! Remember that every child, no matter what they struggle with or what their temperament is, is capable of being a good leader. It is our job as parents to love and support them as they grow in their faith and to encourage them to be more like Christ each and every day.
