What Can Youth Teach Us About Leadership?

Sitting at the fourteenth annual Power of Children awards presented by the Indianapolis Children’s Museum which I had the privilege of attending at the invitation of one of the award recipients.  This is a young lady I have gotten to know over the past year through The John Maxwell Team.

This lady has been impacting the world through an organization she started called S.T.E.P.  where she provides shoes to people around the world who cannot afford shoes.  This project started years ago after experiencing a terrible flood where her family lost everything.

She was one among six young women that evening joining a special group of over 66 children who have led by stepping out and pursuing a vision to make the world a better place.

Before each individual was recognized, presented their grant check, and had an opportunity to share a brief story we were able to see videos describing each recipient’s story.  While I watched these videos and the following morning watched more on The Indianapolis Children’s Museum website, I was struck by three leadership principles we can all learn.

1. Vision Each of the recipients have seen a need in the world.  Often those needs came from a pain they experienced personally.  One individual created an organization to help individuals with dyslexia because of her struggle with it.  A past award winner created resources for youth with autism because of a need he experienced.  These young men and women saw a need and then had an idea on how to meet that need.
2. Passion I don’t know each of these young men and women, but I sense they suspended the need to know how and just took the first step.  Each of these young people exemplify a person with a burning passion to solve a problem in the world and do something.  How often do we as leaders see a need and hesitate?  We plan, we prepare, but when do we go?  Passion is the fuel that helps us go as leaders.
3. Initiative When we have passion as our fuel, initiative comes easy.  These young men and women did not sit and prepare, plan, and worry.  Each of them took initiative and moved forward toward fulfilling their purpose for this time in their life.  They started . . . that is all initiative is and now they as a group impact thousands of lives.

I look at what these young women and men are doing and am inspired.  What about you?  What is the need you feel passionate about and compelled to do something about?  This may be a need directly or indirectly related to your professional or personal life.  You see a solution, what is holding you back?  Be like these young men and women and take initiative.  What is your first step?  No one climbed a mountain staying at the base, but they took the first step and kept going.  Take the first step toward your dream and lead in a manner that will meet a need in this world you are created to meet.  Lead well.

©2018 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved