As parents and carers, we often make the mistake of thinking that leadership is all about being the loudest person in the room. You know the type: the child barking orders at the front of the line or the captain of the sports team who loves the sound of their own voice. But true leadership? That is usually something much quieter. It is about empathy, resilience, and the ability to make good decisions even when things feel a bit wobbly.
Teaching these qualities to the young people in your care isn’t about signing them up for expensive management courses or forcing them to run for class president. It starts with the small, everyday moments you share together that build character.
It Starts with Listening
One of the most important pillars of leadership you can instil is emotional intelligence. Can your child understand how someone else is feeling? Can they read a room? You can encourage this at home by telling them to listen more than they speak.
It is about asking them questions like, “Why do you think your friend reacted that way?” rather than just reacting to the drama yourself. Since empathy is the glue that holds teams together, helping a child develop a sense of compassion is perhaps the most effective leadership training you can provide.
Providing Stability in Chaos
Then there is the issue of resilience. Life doesn’t always go to plan, and a good leader needs to know how to bounce back. This is particularly relevant if you are caring for foster children who have faced disruption in their lives. Stability is the soil in which confidence grows, yet not every child has had that luxury immediately.
If you are caring for young people experiencing significant changes, providing a secure base makes all the difference. This is especially true when you work with a fostering agency to provide short term foster care.
Giving Them the Freedom to Get It Wrong
Another huge part of developing leadership is simply allowing young people to make decisions and yes, sometimes allowing them to get it wrong. As a parent or carer, it is tempting to swoop in and fix everything, especially when you see a mistake coming from a mile away. But if they never feel the weight of a consequence, they never learn the value of a well-thought-out choice.
Start small. Let them plan the weekend activity for the family or decide how to budget their pocket money. As they grow, these small decisions turn into bigger ones. They learn that their voice matters and that they have the agency to shape their own lives.
Teaching Them to Lead by Serving
Finally, encourage the children in your care to serve others. The best leaders are servants first. Whether it is helping a younger sibling with homework, volunteering at a local charity, or just being the person who stays behind to stack the chairs after a family event, these acts of service teach humility.
A leader who is willing to get their hands dirty is a leader people will want to follow. It is a long process, of course, and it doesn’t happen overnight. But by focusing on empathy, resilience, decision-making, and service, you can help the next generation grow into the kind of leaders who don’t just command attention, but who truly deserve it.
