By: Clint Fisher, upper elementary principal

Many schools promote that they are developing children into the “leaders of tomorrow.” Some use the “it’s the right thing to do so do it” approach. Others teach children to stand up against their peers. Regardless of whether we use the moral approach or the “be strong” approach, we are likely to fall short if there is not something more significant driving us. We need a strong foundation if we are to lead.

How do we develop leaders?

Leadership is the ability to go in a direction and bring others with you. It is easy to lead children to eat ice cream but challenging to lead them to love others more than they love themselves. If we simply tell our kids what they should do, we are the ones exercising leadership. So, how do we develop leaders?

Leadership is the expression of what we value. If I value playing football at recess, I will lead everyone to play football. If I value people approving of me with smiles, then I will use every opportunity to make them laugh. I will always lead others (and myself!) toward the things that I value. Therefore, we must work to instill values in our children in order to affect their leadership.

No one really “develops leadership.” Everyone just leads to what they value, and we can influence what our children value.

How do we influence values?

If leadership is an expression of values, how do we influence our children’s values?

One way is allowing our children to see us value something enough to pursue it and sacrifice for it. The amount of time we spend pursuing something adds weight to its value. Likewise, what we sacrifice to pursue something shows its priority and adds weight to it.

People say that values are caught, not taught. We need to evaluate the things that we are giving our lives to because those are the things that we are teaching our children to value.

There is also an experiential aspect to developing strong values. If we are struggling to let one pursuit go, it is likely the result of not having something we value more to lead us away. If I love candy, I will always stop by the candy bowl. However, if I value being fit, that desire may lead me to pass by the candy bowl more often.

This is a very effective method of fighting sin.

If, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can taste and see that God’s promises and His ways are better than our sinful ways, we can develop self-leadership to do the right thing. Otherwise, we are left staring at the candy bowl without reason to resist or change.

So, let us model for our children trusting in God’s promises and experiencing the joy found in His presence that far surpasses the fleeting pleasures of this world … and pray that they will lead others to do the same.