TODAY’S SUMMER SERIES EPISODE IS ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP!

Everything you want in your life, no matter your age, all the awesome things you’d love to accomplish or the impact you want to make on the world, it all comes down to becoming the leader you need to be to do those things

So, mom, dad, whomever, tune in with your kids because I’m also talking to you!

Let’s raise them up right!

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

[1:39] Making the Right Choice

I remember being a kid and whenever my parents would tell me to try to do something, or to try something new or to learn something, I would just roll my eyes. But now looking back on my life, I realized that the hard time I gave my parents hurt me more than it hurt them. They wanted to help me and they wanted to support me and they’d lived and walked through that part of life, and already had way more wisdom than I had.

So I’m going to be super honest with you. Kids of most ages will naturally care more about fitting in with their friends than they do about being a leader. You might be listening to this because you want to be a leader. But then if I pinned the choice to do what a leader does up against being popular, what would you choose? 

Leadership isn’t about popularity. It’s not about doing things to be liked. It’s about having the courage to do the right thing. So, you have to make a choice. Do you want to be just like everyone else, or do you want to be who you were made to be?

[3:41] Lead Yourself 

The great thing about making the braver choice is that you’re not doing it alone. There are other kids out there who have also chosen to go against the grain. 

So, what does it look like to lead? First of all – you lead yourself. Will the habits, the thoughts, the behaviors you have right now support you in being who you’re called to be? 

• Do you just leave your plates at the table and leave them for mom and dad to clean up? That’s exactly what a follower would do, not think of how their choices affect other people.
• Do you say or do things to try and look cool in front of your friends even if it’s not the right thing to do? That’s follower material. 
• Do you doubt yourself or tell yourself you can’t do something because it’s hard? I get it because I used to do that too, but that’s not what the leader would do. 

So step one is taking ownership of the areas where you could improve and choose to improve them.

[4:54]  Knowing Your Values

Leadership is also about knowing who you are, what you believe and what you stand for and living by those values, even when it’s really hard. Work with your family to come up with the values you want to live by. If you need a tool or a resource to do that, we have one you can print out and can do together with your family or you can do on your own. Just got to https://luminaryleadershipco.com/truenorth to download our free workbook that will help you  figure out your North Star and what’s guiding you.

[5:20]  Leading Others 

Leadership is also about leading others, not just yourself. So, when you choose to be a leader, it’s no longer just about you. It’s about the positive impact you make on the other people around you and that’s called influence. 

Think about ways you could think of others in your life and help them or lead them. Could you be there for your sibling or your friend? Could you ask your parents how you could help or support them in the business or around the house? Could you think about something you’re really great at and use those gifts to help or teach other people? 

There are going to be so many opportunities in your life to choose between being a popular kid and being the leader. And most of the time it’ll be really tempting to choose to be the popular kid because being popular feels good in a moment. But here’s the problem – usually by being the popular kid, we’re not really being ourselves. We’re not living by the values we said mattered to us. So, sure you can choose that easier path but if you want to accomplish your dreams and to make a difference in the world, this is your chance to do it differently, to be you, to stand up for what is right, to make those tougher choices and to lead others and show them what’s possible.

I hope this episode inspires you to become the leader you’re made to be. And if it did, make sure you share it with your friends! Tag us and let us know what you think, what you want to learn more of and what you’re going through.  

We would love it if you would subscribe and leave us a review! And come connect with me on Instagram at @elizhartke and if there’s a topic, a question or a guest you want to hear on the show or an idea you have for us, just reach out and share that.

We do this for you so the more you tell us the more we can serve!

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Get your FREE Raising Luminaries True North Workbook here!
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