One critical need to be filled by a leader is to set goals and then articulate them in a manner to others in their group to inspire them to action. To be able to do this effectively the leader will have already been experienced in setting goals and achieving them in their personal lives.
For a young person they may have a goal of learning to ride their bike or learning to swim. As the parent we want to give them the words for this so they know that they are not just doing something that is fun – but they have set a goal. On the journey to learning to swim there will be highs and lows, difficulties and victories. In the end though they accomplish what they set out to do.
As the kids get older we can help them to set higher goals, for themselves and as they participate with groups, sports or competitive teams or play in an orchestra they will have both personal and group goals. Helping them to appreciate the need for goal setting and learning how to name them, write them down, work at achieving, changing our plans if we need to, are all steps to building a leader.
Imagine what our life might be like if we did not set goals for ourselves. We would not know where we were heading, what we were working for or how we can get there. It would be like getting on a plane with the plane flying with no known destination. Groups, individuals and causes all perform their best when they know what the outcome is that they are working to achieve.
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