Why Leadership Matters (Part III)

Because leadership is learned, (like happiness, optimism, creativity, curiosity), I believe creators of children’s products have the utmost opportunity to reach and show kids innovative themes about what it means to lead by writing stories and creating imaginative play experiences about honesty, integrity, taking a risk to do better than before, discovering an invention, reaching a goal, going the extra mile. Every child loves to read a story about the one who is different yet succeeds, the one who started from behind but landed first at the finish line, the one who was told he couldn’t make a difference but won an award for making the biggest difference of all. At the same time, we can be informing kids about the essence of leadership, while enriching their knowledge of what it means to be a leader and how leaders act. Leadership is not about success or fame. It’s about trailblazing and influencing people to become more, and impacting societies for the better.

Research tells us that nurturing leader skill-building in children positively changes behavior, enriches personality, stimulates individuals to take action, enhances personal character, stimulates inventiveness:

• Helps a child understand his/her strengths and purpose in life

• Increases positive mental health and well-being

• Invigorates inner confidence

• Promotes healthy relationship-building

• Enhances character, integrity, and responsibility

• Develops character, curiosity, and creativity

• Enhances goal-setting, integrity, conflict resolution, responsibility

• Stimulates initiative, innovation and imagination

• Fortifies conflict resolution and reconciliation skills

• Encourages inner-directed leadership

• Extends internal strength and inner-directed leadership

• Empowers a child to contribute positively to the world

I believe creators of children’s products have a prescient opportunity in classrooms and on school visits, with parents and grandparents, for tutors or home-schoolers, for counselors and therapists, to bring leadership values, concepts, stories and play experiences to the younger generation to bring greater awareness and understanding of the essence of leadership. I wholeheartedly encourage creators everywhere to engage young leaders through new characters, plots, themes, products and play experiences to increase leadership awareness and action. Do you agree our world needs it? Do you write or create products for leadership in kids? If so, we would like to hear about it.

“Real leaders don't just talk about leadership - they live it!”