| What makes leaders stand out, and how can | | | | Keeping Your Focus |
| teens learn about them? | | | | Focus is also a leadership skill. It allows someone |
| For teens to develop into successful leaders, it is | | | | to set aside distractions, and concentrate on |
| important to learn everything that goes into | | | | priorities and the task at hand. It is an important |
| effective leadership. Therefore, qualities of | | | | trait for teens to learn, as they deal with many |
| leadership are essential for teens to study. | | | | distractions in their lives. With focus, a person and |
| Leaders Share the Same Attributes | | | | his or her team can reach their goals in spite of |
| Just as there are different types of personalities, | | | | difficulties or problems. |
| there are different kinds of leaders. However, | | | | This is necessary in any area, including companies |
| they tend to share the same attributes in general, | | | | and governments. An individual with great focus is |
| which have helped them become successful. | | | | Michael Jordan, who won multiple basketball |
| These leadership qualities have helped them to | | | | championships, and willed his team to win by |
| have a positive effect on people, accomplish | | | | making those difficult last second shots. |
| goals, inspire others, build team chemistry, gain | | | | Persistence is Key |
| support for ideas, make decisions, build trust, and | | | | Another essential leadership skill for effective |
| handle responsibilities, among other results. Some | | | | leaders is persistence, and training in this quality |
| of the primary qualities leaders have in common | | | | would benefit all teens. The saying goes, "Nothing |
| include character, vision, focus, and persistence. | | | | great was ever accomplished without |
| Character Building | | | | persistence." It is the ability to continue working |
| Character is important for teens to learn about, | | | | on a mission or goal until it is achieved, regardless |
| as leaders must possess this trait in order to gain | | | | of obstacles or setbacks. This quality is needed |
| the trust and respect of others. To build a solid | | | | for leaders who all experience challenges in their |
| reputation requires a certain degree of integrity | | | | work. |
| and strength, and these are developed over time. | | | | Prime examples of persistence include Thomas |
| It is embodied in standards, and one company | | | | Edison, who invented the light bulb after 1,000 |
| motto gave a good example of it saying "We | | | | failures, and Abraham Lincoln, who became |
| Stand Behind Everything We Sell." | | | | President after several defeats and personal |
| The Importance of Having Vision | | | | difficulties. |
| Teens must also learn the leadership skill of | | | | Developing Qualities is a Process |
| creating a vision - the ability to see a possible | | | | Learning about leadership qualities is an important |
| outcome from setting plans in motion. Leaders | | | | aspect of leadership training that can benefit |
| need to have vision in order to communicate to | | | | teens. Leaders share common traits, and to find |
| and motivate people to attain accomplishments | | | | out about them allows teens to work on those |
| that they may not have thought were possible or | | | | attributes themselves. Teens can research |
| had not even considered working toward. An | | | | different leaders, and find and model their positive |
| example of someone with great vision is Bill | | | | traits. In doing so, they will be on the path of |
| Gates, who created and developed Microsoft. | | | | good leadership. |