Activities For Youth That Promote Leadership Qualities

It can be difficult to raise children to become leaders. It seems as though many children are content to be followers and not leaders. So it is up to you as the parent to help your child develop their leadership abilities.

Along with setting a good example and encouraging leadership qualities, there are activities which promote leadership qualities. By utilizing activities, your child is more likely to naturally pick up the leadership traits you are hoping to encourage.

Team-Based Activities Which Develop Leadership

Having your teen participate in team-based activities is a great way to give them leadership development opportunities. While there are some team activities where your child could fall back and allow others to lead, we want to recommend activities which require all participants to hold their own.

• Sports - Participating with a team can develop not only a healthy work ethic but also boost your child’s self-esteem and ability to work with others. If your child struggles with aggressive tendencies, we do not recommend contact sports like football.
• Academic teams - There are a variety of academic teams your teen can participate in. Many are structured with different subject focuses so all students have a chance to shine. Debate teams, in particular, can help your child develop strong speaking skills and effective communication tactics.
• Camp - Asides from helping your teen learn that they will not die if they don’t have all their technology, camp allows children to learn new skills in a safe environment. Most camps emphasize self-reliance, creative activities, and teamwork.
• Clubs - By the time your child enters middle school, there are generally school-sponsored clubs for them to participate in. Some clubs we recommend are: environmentally-focused clubs, humanitarian clubs, and other service-based clubs. By looking outside themselves, teens can organically learn that they need to be strong leaders to help others. If there is no club which interests your teen on their school campus, look into your community.

Individual Activities Can Promote Leadership Qualities

Team-based activities are not the only ones which can help your teen develop leadership qualities. Many individual pursuits can encourage desirable leadership traits.

• Music - Whether your child is part of a musical group or an individual performer, they can develop leadership qualities. However, individual musical pursuits are more effective in this respect. Your teen will have to hone their talents on their own, become used to standing strong while performing and practicing alone, and set individual growth goals. Teens can take pride in accomplishments and develop their independence.
• Job - Being a good worker and leader is an individual experience and does not require a job that emphasizes teamwork. Your teen can take pride in creating jobs like mowing neighbors’ lawns and babysitting or working for someone else. Earning money and learning to manage it wisely can be very empowering for your teen. Teens with jobs can also develop a strong work ethic sooner than many of their peers.

Creating Great Leaders At Liahona

Part of Liahona Academy’s mission is to help troubled teen boys become confident young men who are ready to lead. Many of our activities focus on developing the teens in our program into people who can be relied on to lead at work, school, and in their personal lives. So you can feel confident when your son enters our program, he can return to you as a dependable leader.