Anyone can be a leader and all children want to be leaders. However, the key to being a successful leader is to have followers. Thus, central to leadership skills is the ability to listen, to find out what others want. Children are not good at this. They can argue, they can shout, they can throw tantrums, they can sulk. However, they need to learn that leadership is not the same as getting one's own way. Thus, central to developing leadership skills in children is to engage them in the decision-making process. This can be done on an everyday basis.

For example, if you are planning a family day out on a Saturday, ask them where they would like to go. Once they give their answer, discuss it: "Do you think your mother would enjoy that as well?"; "Do you think your younger brother would enjoy it?"; "What can we do when we get there?"; "Will there be other things to do?"; etc. Such an approach will help them to see that central to leadership is considering what the group wants to do and achieving consensus.

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