Kids On Inspiring Leaders

A Conversation with Kids on Leadership

June 14th is National Children's Day, so I decided to ask a few kids to share their thoughts on leadership. What struck me most was how values‑driven their responses were. Their answers go straight to the heart of what leadership actually should be.

Here are the key highlights that stood out:
🌟 What Leadership Means
Setting an example: They described leaders as people who go first, do what’s right, and model the behavior they expect.
Service and responsibility: Leadership is about helping others, organizing people, and creating environments where everyone feels heard.
Bringing people together: They consistently linked leadership to unity, teamwork, and shared purpose.
Courage and impact: From Harriet Tubman to a sergeant leading troops, they saw leadership as stepping up when it matters.

🌱 Traits They Believe Make a Good Leader
Listening: Nearly every one of them mentioned this.
Kindness, honesty, loyalty: Emotional intelligence wasn’t an afterthought.
Charisma + intelligence: Vital attributes required to inspire and make sound decisions.
Sacrifice and resilience: They recognized that leadership often means leaving your comfort zone.
Adaptability: Kids intuitively understood that different situations require different leadership styles.

👥 Leaders Who Inspire Them
Their role models were diverse:
Jesus: For servant leadership and humility.
Moms, siblings, and classmates: Everyday leaders who guide with patience, wisdom, and consistency.
Martin Luther King Jr.: For conviction, peaceful action, and clarity of message.
Cristiano Ronaldo: For resilience, mindset, and leading by example.
Sacagawea: For bravery and perseverance.

What’s powerful is that they all admired specific character traits in each of these leaders.

💬 Do They See Themselves as Leaders?
Their answers were honest and self-aware:
Some confidently said yes, they motivate friends, lead teams, or set examples.
Others said not yet, recognizing that leadership takes experience, practice, and growth.
Many saw leadership as something everyone should cultivate internally, even if they don’t hold a formal role.

One line that stood out:
“You might not be a leader, but deep within you, you should be a leader of at least yourself.”
That’s wisdom many adults spend decades trying to learn.

💡 My Takeaway
These kids remind us that leadership is about character, courage, and care for others. It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard, and lifting others up.