Five Leadership messages for a Daughter

Being a leader means being self-confident, open to new ideas and willing to take action. A study of 25 top women leaders found that, as children, they had all been given five messages.


1. You are loved and special. Children don’t automatically know they are loved. Hug your children. Let them know you love them even when they make mistakes or misbehave.


2. You can do anything you put your mind to doing. Let your daughter believe in her power to achieve. Don’t do things for her that she can do for herself. As a toddler, let her dress herself. Later, let her manage her allowance.


3. You can take risks. Mistakes are an unpleasant but inevitable part of learning. Let your daughter take risks and applaud her efforts. If she wants to try out for sports, the school play, or student government, encourage her. If she doesn’t make the team or loses the election, help her see what she learned from the experience and encourage her to try again.


4. You can use and enjoy assertiveness. Listen to your daughter’s goals and dreams. She may wish she could play a particular piano piece or she may envy her friend’s ability to ride a bicycle. Help her make a realistic plan to achieve her goal. Reward her through open displays of pride, such as attending a piano concert or taking a bike ride with her.


5. You are entitled to dreams of greatness. Don’t limit your daughter’s dreams. If she wants to be an astronaut, don’t tell her she’ll get airsick. If she wants to be an attorney, don’t tell her men won’t be attracted to an assertive woman. If she wants to be a teacher, don’t tell her she can do better that. Help her believe she excel at whatever she does.


Source: http://www.thelearningcommunity.us/


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