by Debbie Dickerson
There is nothing more pure than insight from a kid. They are not too jaded, do not have concrete established habits, and tend to bust through the garble that most adults get stuck in trying to make themselves appear smarter than they are. 14 is a funny age, especially in today's world with the internet. It is the age where they start getting strong opinions on what they see in the world; politics, religion, war, greed... we can no longer hide it from them. Personally, when a kid asks me questions, especially my own, I sit them down and have a conversation. My kids are oddly interested in the corruption of people and the false information we are being fed, and how we can make it a better situation. (I have no idea where they are getting this from :) ) They amaze me with their ideas and their questions. In my family, we discuss leadership quite often. The pros and cons and what we can or will do differently.
This morning I asked my 14 year old son to write down 5 questions he wanted to ask me about leadership. This kid is a thinker and his questions make me proud as a Mom.
Q1. What is a leader without any followers?
A1. A leader without any followers is a student of sorts. They are honing in on the skills they need in order to gain followers. They are filled with ideas but do not have the know how to communicate them. They are a leader, but to only themselves at this time.
Q2. Can a leader also be a follower?
A2. Great question! Every Great leader is able to be just as great of a follower. You learn and grow from others insight and leadership skills. Leaders that say they do not follow are not leaders, they are liars.
Q3. Why is a leader important?
A3. Hmmm, is this a direct hit to me haha? I want to change this to great leaders are important because they take their followers to a level higher than they would have achieved at this moment on their own. Great leaders organize, motivate, and inspire others to be better every day than they were the day before. Without great leaders, in many situations, it would be chaos and little change would occur.
Q4. Can there be more than one leader at a time?
A4. Wow! This is a seriously supreme question! The answer is yes. The circumstance of course matters but in my opinion, at any given time, the person that motivates action in a positive forward motion is a leader. There are different levels of being a leader. The leader does not always have the power to pull the trigger, but that doesn't make them a non - leader. I guess that goes back to question #2 leaders are followers too!
Q5. Does a leader have to be something you can see or touch?
A5. The best and only example I have to answer this is Jesus, or whichever God people put their faith into. I am just answering this according to my faith, so Jesus is somebody that we cannot physically see or touch, however, he is the most powerful leader that has touched my life. Whatever motivates you to take positive actions that lead to a greater good is a leader, the leader you choose to follow.
As adults, we sometimes forget to rejuvenate our thoughts and reasons for what we want to accomplish. I often ask my kids their thoughts because it inspires me to stay fresh and pure on my goals of being a great leader! I hope this has served you in the same manner!
Source: 5 Leadership Questions From a 14 Year Old Boy
