The Developing Young Leaders Seminar“Home” Edition

with alan e nelson, ed.d.

If you want to change the world, focus on leaders. If you want to change leaders, focus on them when they’re young.

Where We’re Headed:

• 7 Indicators of Leadership Aptitude in Kids• 5 Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth• 5 Ideas to Grow Great Leaders @ Home• 4 Stages in Young Leader Development

www.kidlead.com

Discuss With A Partner (not spouse)

Your name & kids’ names/grades.Why you came to this?

Life is short! Carpe diem!

www.kidlead.com

HISTORY IS PRIMARILY SHAPED BY 3 FORCES

Change the World

Disasters

Plagues/Earthquakes/Tsunamis/Hurricanes/Epidemics

1

2 Discoveries

Flight/New Lands/Space/Internet/Computers

3 Leaders…

Hitler, Ghandi, Lincoln, Stalin, Moses

3But the largest, both good and bad, is leaders.

3Is leadership better caught or taught?

3 Leadership is better taught.

Just another 12 year old?

Nope; President Reagan

A squirrely 6th grader?

Perhaps, but he became President Carter.

Nine year old trouble maker?

Think again; President George W. Bush.

•Categories of Leadership

Personal: responsible, high self-esteem, ethical, good citizen, confident, works from strengths

Managerial: able to facilitate smaller group projects, maintain existing processes

Organizational: able to cast vision, lead others in problem solving, catalyze organizational change

•W

orking Definition

Leadership is the process of helping people accomplish together, what they could not as individuals.

Leaders are those who get leadership going.

RECOGNIZING LEADERSHIP APTITUDE IN KIDS & YOUTH

Identifying Future Lions Early

Can Everyone Be A Leader?Howard Gardner (Harvard), author of “Multiple Intelligences,” notes leadership as a domain in interpersonal intelligence

Cultural Blindness to Young Leaders

William Damon (Stanford) says that the American value of equality, especially in our educational system, overlooks the unique energy and creativity of young leaders.

The Ear Effect… Peers listen to and seek input from the child/youth.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

1

2 The Goal Effect… The child/youth initiates goals & is not satisfied with status quo.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

3 The Boss Effect…

The student is opinionated, bossy and accused of being disruptive at times.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

4 The Negotiator Effect… The child/youth is good at presenting his/her ideas and having others accept them.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

5 The Organizer Effect… The child/youth is good at organizing kids & peers in activities.

Leadership Aptitude Indicator

6 The Captain Effect… Adults tend to select the child/youth to be in charge.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

7The Pillar Effect… The child/youth stands up for his/her beliefs; is not prone to peer pressure.

Leadership Aptitude Indicators

Click icon to add picture

Free Social Influence survey @www.kidlead.com

Discuss With A Partner

Which of these indicators stood out to you and/or were unexpected?

www.kidlead.com

5 Ways Parents Unknowingly Shut Down Young Leader Development at Home

Silencing: Failing to seriously listen to young leaders’ ideas.

Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth

1

2 Intimidating: Threats, verbal warnings & striving to control the child.

Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth

3 Equality:

Treating siblings the same & thus denying differences (love the same; recognize gifting).

Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth

4 Hovering:Striving to protect your child & disallowing chances to lead.

Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth

5Assuming: Thinking leading is only for adults; so we solely invest in academics & athletics; think long term.

Ways Parents Stunt Leadership Growth

Discuss With A Partner

Which of these 5 do you want to work on in your parenting?

www.kidlead.com

How to develop young leaders in your home.

The Pygmalion: Start seeing & treating your child like a leader.

Developing Your Child’s LP

1

2 The Project: Provide at-home activities where children lead others.

Developing You Child’s LP

3 The Mentor:

Find leaders to invest in your child (shadowing; training).

Developing Your Child’s LP

4 The Discipline: Connect choices with consequences (love & logic).

Developing Your Child’s LP

5The Training: *Executive vs. Citizenship*Active vs. Passive*Indigenous vs. Outsourced *Skill vs. Conceptual*Coached vs. Unaccountable *Socratic vs. Directive

Developing Your Child’s LP

4 Developmental Stages of Young Leaders

• Carpe Diem: Seizing opportunities in each phase (lotus flower metaphor)Taking Root: 2-9 years of ageSubmerged: 10-13 Emerging: 14-18Blooming: 19-25

Taking Root Stage

• Stage 1: Ages 2-9• Focus: Conditioning & Character

Submerged Stage (Most Strategic)

• Stage 2: Ages 10-13• Focus: Character & Competency

Rites of Passage to Adulthood (12-14)

• 24,000,000 Preteens in US

• Adult rites of passage: i.e. Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Walk-about, Catechism, Confirmation

• Adolescence modern social construct

Making Formal Presentations (Hynes)

• Evidence: fact & opinion• Three types of opinions: personal, lay, expert

Primary Benefits

• Elevates attraction to top universities/employers• Elevates confidence as leaders bond• Reduces bullying & misbehaving (peer policing)• Creates skill set at early stage (little to unlearn)• Expands culture of leadership in schools/orgs• Invests in lifelong skills sets vs. temporary• Provides a 10-25 year head start on competition

Success Research

Providing an early start provides life long benefits of being trained, mentored, and compounding opportunities.

Robert Epstein, PhD

Adolescence is a recent social construct, so that we infantalize youth today who are very capable leaders.

Emerging Stage

• Stage 3: Ages 14-18• Focus: Competency & Confidence

Blossoming Stage

• Stage 4: Ages 19-25• Focus: Confidence & Connections

Training Systems

Ages 2-5 2013 Release

Ages 6-9 2012 Release

Ages 10-13 Released 2008

Ages 14-18 Released 2012

Ages 19-24 2013/14 Release

Additional Best Practices

• Don’t compete with handouts– Offer to provide PPT notes at end of

presentation or other handouts– Only provide what is needed/helpful prior or

they may read vs. listen

Systematic desensitization

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)

Focusing on communication vs. performance (speak “to” vs. “at”)

Reducing Anxiety Techniques

Positive Peer Pressure

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w69mUStVSCM

• YouTube Video of LeadYoung’s Solution to Bullying and Negative Youth Social Behavior

Q&A

I could beat this man in a race!

www.leadyoung.orgwww.kidlead.com

Developing Young Leaders Seminar

Thanks for attending the