– Allan Andersen, Director of Chaman Bhartiya School

Behavioural theories believe that people can become leaders through the process of training, learning and reflection. Leadership skills can be learned by preparation, perception, practice and experience over time. A good leader seeks out development opportunities that will help them learn new skills and use knowledge, character, and capability to positively influence actions.

Courses and programs designed to acquire leadership skills have become popular among adults who experience career progressions. While such courses make some impact on an individual’s personality, the possibility and ability to train an individual during their early years of education have been recognized worldwide.  

During the early years of a child’s life, the brain can be moulded and trained easily. Children are more open to feedback as compared to young adults hence, learning at this age helps in building a strong foundation for a child’s emotional, social, physical and mental development.  

With an effective learning curve in place, one can easily inculcate the traits of a leader in a child, like other mannerisms and attitudes. Schools are the first place to create leaders. By recognizing leadership qualities, nurturing those qualities and provide a safe place to practice them, schools can turn each and every student into a future leader. Qualities like respect, teamwork, resilience, concentration, patience, confidence and self-esteem are other benefits that an early education brings. Honing such skills at an early age will also help kids getting better in the future and garner some experience. 

A holistic curriculum that motivates the students and instils the required skillset for being a leader, is the need of the hour. Customized training programs and tailor-made experiences at school, can shape the minds of children effectively and prepare them for the future. Inculcating such skills also helps in developing self-awareness, listening and negotiation skills, eye for goals, commitment, prioritizing, problem-solving, and communication skills among the students.

Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. Some are born with leadership skills while others learn lessons along the way that significantly impacts them in life. By demonstrating and imbibing leadership qualities at an early age, schools can help in create skilled and experienced leaders who can build positive change, globally. 

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