Written by Alli Herrington - part of the EquippingKids Canada Team and PhD candidate at Brock University, Canada
As a 24-year-old woman diving into Rachel Hollis’ two #1 New Work Times Bestseller self-help books, which help woman chase their purpose and dreams, I sit and wonder… WHY is it that these two books have sold almost 5 million copies in the last year?
“Don’t be bossy” they’d say. “You’re not in charge of everyone” they’d remind you. Who are “THEY” in these scenarios? Adults!
Leadership isn’t a trait that was encouraged growing up, and I am going to guess that is why I struggle with this mantle now. We don’t often see ourselves as leaders because this is often reserved for a specific person: white mid-40s male in a business setting.
Children are seen as lacking this ability to be leaders, but this must be challenged, children DO have the ability to be leaders, the opportunities are just not there.
CHILDREN ARE LEADERS. Why do these types of resources not land in our hands until our 20’s?
We must not be so focused on developmental capacity, and “aim to move beyond this and see children not in terms of their passivity but as active meaning makers, processing all that is going on around them” (Frankel, 2018, p. 17).
We must detox our attitudes and thoughts to be free from the assumption that children’s value lies in what they will become. Children ARE leaders. Adults, STOP taking control just because you THINK you know best, the outcomes may leave you speechless.
