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During spring break, I got to spend some extra time with my favorite little person on the planet: my grandson.

In observing my grandson, I can already see his developing strengths. I see them in how he plays and in how he moves and interacts with others. I hear them in what he says and how he says it. I don’t know exactly what he will do and be when he grows up, but I can already see his strengths emerging.

Those of you who have children or work with children know what I mean. Each child, even in the same family, is unique.

Our role as leaders of developing generations is not to raise young people who do what we do; but, rather, to nurture each one’s gifts so they can do best what they were created to do.

How can we best lead those who follow in our footsteps?

Be Present

We want to give everything to our children, and we want them to have things we didn’t have. But sometimes, they just want us. They want us to take an interest in their interests.

Be Observant

While those who lead young people spend more than their fair share of time giving instruction, there are times when we need to step back, observe, and learn. What is your child drawn to? What patterns of behavior, speech, and action do you see? These are clues to your child’s strengths.

Be Flexible

Maybe you are one of those parents who spent a fortune on a certain toy, instrument, or a sports uniform, only to have your young person lose interest in the activity after about two weeks. There is merit in having them finish a season they started; but it is also important to let them experiment with different interests. This natural exploration is an important part of their journey to discovering their strengths.

Be Honest

Young people know when you are being disingenuous. If they don’t do well in a certain subject or activity, they know it. And your telling them they did great could actually do more harm than good, as they may spend their life trying to overcome their weakness when they could be working in their strengths.

Instead, be honest, and acknowledge that spelling (for example) may not be their area of strength. Help them overcome it to the degree possible with tools and practices so they can succeed in life; but don’t expect them to become an English teacher.

Be Encouraging

While you are being honest, you should also encourage them to develop their strengths to deeper and deeper levels as they grow.

Be Patient

High school students can be made to feel they have to decide now what they will do for the rest of their lives. They have to declare a career path or a college major. There is undue pressure to have it all figured out before they begin college or join the workforce.

Here’s the thing: there are 40-year-olds who still don’t have it all figured out!

Instead, look at young adulthood as a time to try on different types of work. What is interesting is that patterns will emerge that point to their strengths.

Be a Resource

One of the greatest gifts you can provide the young people in your life is guidance. And a good strengths assessment is a great place to start. We have some great tools here that help guide younger students into finding their strengths or older students into starting down a career path that actually fits.

If you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or someone else who works with young people, reach out to me anytime. I would love to help you help a young person find their strengths!

While it is natural for young people, especially adolescents, to try to fit in; why not be a leader who helps them confidently stand out by living, learning, and working in their strengths?

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!