Ways to Help Your Teen Build Strong Leadership Skills

Leadership Skills: If you are a parent to teenagers, you might already see some qualities in them that will make them great leaders in the future. If you see your teenager being good at something, it’s important to ensure you help them develop those skills. Attending worship leader camps, academic conferences, or even a local summer camp can be a great way for them to build their skills within their community.

Even if your teenager is not showing any signs of being an effective leader there are ways you can connect and engage with them to ensure they grow into good leaders in the future.

Having good leadership skills can help your children in many different ways in the future. It can help them land jobs better and it can also ensure they can build connections and confront conflict head-on.

Here are the best ways to help your teen have the skills they need to be a strong leader.

Encourage Them to Communicate

Leaders have to be able to communicate with the people they are leading as well as with other leaders. Some of the things they need to communicate are being able to listen, having the ability to motivate others, and being able to inspire people with their words.

Speaking in public is also necessary in some cases so it’s a good idea if your teen can practice speaking in front of groups.

Communicating is not all about talking. Sometimes communication is more about listening. Ensure your teen knows how to actively listen.

Help Them to Set Goals

Leaders always have goals. Your teen might already have some goals but you might need to help guide them to create realistic ones. You will probably also have to help them come up with a plan to achieve these goals.

If your teen doesn’t have goals, consider what their priorities are and how they see their future. When coming up with a plan, make sure they can reach their goals with steps that are manageable. If the goal is too far in the future or unrealistic, they will not be able to reach it and this can cause discouragement.

Many times, teens lose sight of their goals and their priorities for the future. Falling into the trap of substance abuse and battles with mental health issues can often be a barrier to goal setting. If this is the case for your teen, consider a worship leader camps program or a support group that can help motivate your teen toward realistic goals and improvements.

Let Them Make Their Own Decisions

If you have teenagers, you know sometimes they don’t make the best decisions and it can be easier to make decisions for them. While this is necessary sometimes, it’s good if they can begin to make some decisions on their own.

Teach them to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each decision so they can learn effective decision-making. Part of decision-making is also making mistakes so it’s okay to allow them to make certain mistakes here and there.

Get Them Organized

Good leaders usually are organized and have some structure to their lives and their plans. When your teen is organized, they can more easily make choices and decisions that will put them on the best path to becoming a good leader.

Practice Makes Perfect

Your teen will need to practice their leadership skills to be a good leader so make sure they have ample opportunities to showcase their leadership skills.

Encourage them to take leadership positions at school clubs, at church, or on sports teams depending on what they like to do.

If they are not quite ready to lead a team, make sure they have enough opportunities to be part of a team so they can see other leaders in action and learn from them.

Always Try New Things

Some teens might be apprehensive of trying new things and others might enjoy it. Most leaders tend to try new things because it allows them to take risks and be innovative. Help your teen to get over the fear of trying new things and encourage them to take chances.

When your teen can learn new skills, they are one step closer to becoming a great leader.

Teach Them to Negotiate

If your teen can negotiate, they will be a better leader because they can confront conflict and find important solutions to problems. It also ensures they are getting what they want from life and not being pushed over.

Negotiation skills take practice so give them chances to try out their skills at home. You also want to teach them that real negotiation includes both sides winning, not just them. This will show them that’s important to come up with solutions where both people are gaining something important.

Make Them Part of a Team

While leaders do make some decisions alone, they also need to be able to look at the team as a whole and decide what the best plan is for everyone involved. Leaders know that when people can collaborate, things get done faster and people are usually much happier about the outcome.

Part of being able to collaborate is teaching your teen that they need to be respectful of other people’s opinions and values. The best way to teach them is by example.

Be a Role Model

Your teen will never be a good leader if you cannot show them how to be a good leader yourself. Make sure you are showcasing all the things you are telling them so they can see it in action.

Let Them Be Around Leaders

Is there a leader in your group of friends that your teen can spend time with? Maybe they can go to work with them one day or be a part of their team for something so they can see real leaders in action.

This can help them get mentorship and support as they are paving the way to be great leaders themselves.

Final Thoughts

Every teen needs leadership skills as it allows them to grow and connect stronger to their peers and their communities. The best way to get your teen to be a great leader is to allow them the opportunities they need to grow as a leader by allowing for effective communication and giving them the chance to be a part of a team.

When in doubt, use the suggestions in this guide and your teen will be one of the most effective leaders at school, church, and wherever else they might hang out.