Children and Youth in Leadership

In our last blog, we shared about what it means to become a catalyst to change your world. Leaning on the rich principles derived from the collaboration of two great leaders: Rob Hoskins, CEO of OneHope International Ministry and John Maxwell, Internationally-renowned leadership expert, we learned that if you have influence with even one person, you are a leader. Out of this recognition comes the responsibility to develop ourselves and pursue the hope of change which is inside of us.

“ Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” John Maxwell

This month, we will continue in that same theme of leadership development. By our definition of leadership (meaning to have influence), then it is not only mature adults who are leaders — children and youth are also leaders in their own spheres of influence. You have likely seen this demonstrated in your context. Young people exercise their leadership amongst their friends, in their school clubs, at church, or through their community groups. These spheres of influence might be small to begin, but will expand as they grow. Amongst our children and youth reside the future leaders of nations, great corporations and multinational movements. We do not need to wait till they are adults to start cultivating a child or young person’s capacity for wise leadership. As the “Now” Generation, what they learn and practice today can benefit us all tomorrow.

“Without wise leadership, a nation falls” Proverbs 11:14

How do young people around you think of leadership? Do they have a positive or negative view of leadership? According to one of OneHope’s research reports, many of today’s young people likely equate leadership with position, abuse of power, bribery and corruption; few young people actually desire to have influence in the lives of others.

So in 2016, Rob Hoskins and John Maxwell, in their love for leadership and the now generation, began their first major collaborative partnership by seeking to reverse this negative view and offer a redemptive, practical model of leadership. They produced Lead Today, an engaging book which teaches young people about 15 principles of servant-leadership in the example of Jesus Christ.

What are the 15 principles?

1. INFLUENCE
2. VISION
3. INTEGRITY
4. GROWTH
5. INITIATIVE
6. SELF-DISCIPLINE
7. TIMING
8. TEAMWORK
9. ATTITUDE
10. PRIORITIES
11. RELATIONSHIPS
12. RESPONSIBILITY
13. COMMUNICATION
14. DEVELOPING LEADERS
15. MORE THAN A LEADER

What powerful principles! Imagine how each lesson can transform a child or young person, calling them to recognize the leadership potential within themselves, enticing them to change their world!

How can learning these leadership skills transform the life and community of a young person?

Watch Erick’s story here!

And you, as a leader and minister in their lives, can set them on a path of nurturing this potential. How can you recognize the seeds of leadership in a child or young person?

Here are some tips on what to look out for!

• They display a desire to be helpful and are available
• They ask key questions about problems they notice in their world
• They have some positive influence with peers
• They model healthy display of one or more principles listed above

Interested in utilizing the Lead Today resources to reach, rescue root and release your young people in Biblical leadership? Connect with us here!