Written by: Lucie Matsouaka, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Young people are some of the most overlooked and underdeveloped in the world when it comes to talent. Yet, the future is in the hands of their leadership. If we don’t leverage the resources in our possession to change the trajectory of their growth, we’re missing out on a chance to develop some of the best leaders the world has ever seen. I am mainly talking about teenagers and young adults, from 13 to 24.
Let’s have this conversation now.
In the next 5 to 10 years, they will be at the forefront of companies, organizations, churches, and political parties. So why wait until they get into those positions to train them? Why wait until they start making mistakes? Why wait until the moment they need the skills?
I believe we can start right now. I know we can. If we decide to do so, we will. I am not saying it will be easy. In fact, I know it is not an easy task for so many reasons. Here are some of them.
1. They are very smart.
Let’s talk about this. Kids these days are brilliant and technologically savvy since they have access to a lot of information online. On the contrary, many of us grew up with less intellectual resources, and every time we try to compare our education style to theirs, we are in awe. This can be intimidating to adults. I get it. However, is that a reason not to take a chance on them?
Actually, it’s the opposite! Guess what? If we choose not to, their curiosity will lead them to waste that precious intelligence they have on things that won’t serve them in the future!
2. They don’t seem to be interested in leadership.
I’ve heard this so many times: “Kids today just want to play videogames, watch TV, be on social media. They don’t want to read books and are not interested in leadership, etc.” Okay, lets’ talk about this concern as well. How do you define leadership? Who is a leader, in your opinion? Do you believe that you are a leader yourself? If yes, why? If no, why not? As a parent, a teacher, a manager, or simply an adult, have you ever noticed that younger people around you tend to do what they see you do or what they see other adults do around them? We adults complain about the peer pressure they get from their friends, but remember, the adults also lead their friends in their lives. Whether the influence from those adults is positive or negative, leading is leading. They will lead in either the right or wrong direction.
My goal is not to make you feel guilty about the “lack of responsibility” that the average young person shows these days. My goal is to make sure that we, the adults, understand that we all are responsible for the upbringing of those who will succeed us once we no longer have the strength to lead in various capacities.
They are the future, and they will take over one day, sooner than we want to believe it. They have the intelligence and the vitality, but we have experience and wisdom from making so many mistakes over the course of our lives. Why not combine both?
Now, let me go back to the claim that they don’t seem to be interested in leadership. Are they really not interested, or are we just failing to introduce it to them because we underestimate them, even when they show signs they want to learn? Or is it that we actually don’t know what to do or how to do it? Think about it.
3. It’s difficult, and it takes time.
Oh, yes, I agree! Actually, investing in our youth and trying to give them the tools they need to lead the world in the future will require a whole lot of patience from us. Let me put it this way: if you’re trying to teach leadership skills to young people from 13 to 24 years, you’re dealing with boys and girls who are very smart. They might not listen to you because they’re trying to affirm themselves.
In addition, many are going from being completely self-confident to starting to doubt themselves due to comparing themselves with their peers or to what they saw on TV or social media. You and I know well that media portrays a certain “perfect” image of what life should look like. You’re also dealing with a group of people who find themselves trusting their friends more and less trusting the adults in their lives because they think we don’t understand what they’re going through. I understand all this.
My question to you is, is that a reason to give up on them? No way! I want to argue that this is perfect timing; they need our help and support more than ever. You see, when they were in elementary school, they were full of energy and were dreaming big dreams. They were “babies.” They were free. They had no fear in their hearts. Then puberty happened, and they got confused! They started doubting themselves. They went from wanting to please their parents to want to please their friends. They started to compare themselves with other teenagers. They started to question their parents, teachers, and political leaders’ ability to lead them in the first place. All this is normal. We should not be shocked by all this. All they’re trying to do is figure out who they really are.
Remember, before you became the adult you are today, you were a child, then a teenager. I strongly believe they need to go through those phases to understand how to better contribute to the world in the future. Our responsibility is to expose them to the leadership skills and principles they’ll need in the future. By doing so, we’ll be helping them make the right decisions for their lives while they’re growing, and most importantly, be ready to take on leadership roles once they become adults fearlessly. Remember, they’re geniuses, and they can discern true leaders from false ones. We can’t underestimate them and think they don’t understand what’s going on around them. They do, which is why they need leadership skills now to avoid making the wrong decisions that will cost them time, energy, money, or for some, their lives.
4. You don’t know where to start.
Do you understand the importance and the need to start implementing leadership skills to youth but just don’t know where to start? If yes, I understand how you feel. I felt the same way when my son was younger. You see, when he was a baby, everything was easy. I would make every decision for him, and he would just follow along (what time to eat, what time to go to bed, what time to go to school). He was following along until he started to become aware of himself. One day as he was getting closer to graduate from elementary school, I realized that he was about to enter another phase where kids ask the most questions about their future. I knew I didn’t have what it took to give him the leadership skills that he needed. So, I froze for a while. Then, I said to myself, “Lucie, what if you stop worrying about what to teach him? Instead, be. Just be. Try your best to become a true leader and lead. You already do this in your professional life, anyway. Isn’t that the same thing? A parent is a leader, believe it or not! Start working on yourself more and more, and eventually, he will follow.”
This was not an easy decision. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I knew that if I tried my best to become the type of human being I would like my kid to become, hopefully, eventually, I wouldn’t have to talk too much. Yes, it’s difficult. Yes, it’s exhausting because I have to work on myself instead of trying to change someone else. Yes, I’d make 10,000 mistakes a week. Yes, I’d fall at least once a day. But one thing is for sure: I’d get up and give it another try because it’s worth it. Not only try my best, but also allow him to know how difficult it is. As a leader (parent, teacher, CEO, pastor, or manager), the last thing you want is to pretend to be invincible in front of these future leaders. Your responsibility is to lead them by starting where you are, how you are, with what you have. They’re pretty smart, remember? They can tell when you’re sincere or not. They know when you’re faking it and either will call you out, or they’ll stop trusting you. Authenticity and vulnerability will win them over faster than trying to be who you’re not.
I then continued to self-develop over the years. As my kids grow, I grow. We grow together. They know my heart because I shared it with them. They know my intention because I opened up and shared it with them.
Just like the future leaders we’re raising in our home, your future leaders are hungry. Your kids are hungry. Your students are hungry. The youth in your churches and organizations are hungry. They’re hungry for knowledge, guidance, and trust.
Are we ready to trust the fact that they have the ability to do the right thing, even if they’re going to make tens of thousands of mistakes before they get it right? By the way, isn’t that how we master any skill? Are we willing to invest our time, our energy, our money in the right people? Yes, they are the right people to invest in. They are the future. They will lead companies, businesses, organizations, communities, nations. If we do this right, we’ll be excited to pass the baton into their hands once the day arrives. Let’s give them a chance, NOW.
I want to hear from you! If you found this topic useful and have been inspired to start doing things differently, share this article with others, and let’s start this great conversation. In the near future, we’ll continue on this crucial topic.
To connect with me, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website! If you speak French, feel free to join our French-speaking community, L'Emergence De L'Entrepreneur, for more tips for emerging entrepreneurs.
Lucie S. Matsouaka, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lucie S. Matsouaka is a Certified Professional Career Coach who believes that it’s not enough to only help people look good on paper before a job interview. As an International Youth Leadership Coach, she gives them the tools they need to separate themselves from the masses and have a successful career, no matter what that means to them. She founded L’Emergence De L’Entrepreneur, a French-speaking empowerment platform where she teaches emerging entrepreneurs how to navigate entrepreneurship storms to stand out and be successful.
Lucie has been recognized for her work across the globe; invited to Belgium to speak at the Golden Artistic Awards festival, attended by Belgium government officials, and received the “Prix D’honneur” for her work. Through her partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Center for Peace - US FEDERATION, she was awarded an Official Citation from the Maryland General Assembly (USA). Additionally, she was featured in the Belgium Magazine Brukmer and several US Magazines (Formidable Woman Magazine, Black Reins, Rolling Out, Sheen Magazine, MizCEO) even in Spectrum News.
Lucie is a diversity and inclusivity advocate recognized as an Amazon Best-seller for her work as a co-author with several black female authors. Her best-selling book, Black Girls Hear, takes you through the detailed and riveting experiences of the authors and how those experiences have transformed their lives. She also published two books (English and French) called “Not Everyone Wins” & “Ne Gagne Pas Qui Veut.”
Lucie’s mission: Helping you shorten your learning curve.
