In recent times, there has been a focus on the need to have young people in governance in the Nigerian political scene. The #NotTooYoungToRun campaign seeks to reduce the age limit for running for elected office in Nigeria and globally. While I certainly agree that an infusion of “young blood” would be a progressive move especially in view of the fact that over half of the global population is under 30 years of age, my focus is more on how as parents and educators, we can raise our children to be successful leaders.
Standing on the premise that leadership is not just a position but the ability to impact others and influence them for good, it’s safe to say that a 5-year-old child that can get a group of his/her friends to “go play outside” can be described as a leader.
I’m greatly inspired by Nyeeam Hudson (King Nahh) a 12-year-old motivational speaker who is making global impact by spreading a positive message of self-love and confidence to other kids and parents through his speeches. In this video that has gone viral, King Nahh talks about when a bully made fun of him for wearing outdated sneakers. The wisdom in his response was way beyond his years. “It’s not about what I have on my feet, it’s about what I have inside my head,” No matter what I’m wearing, what I have on it’s about my information, the knowledgable things in life. These sneakers are not even going to fit you 20 years from now.”
As youths continue the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign, one of the greatest things we can do as parents and educators to ensure their success when they do find themselves in positions of leadership, is to #StartThemYoungToLead. By consistently reinforcing and modeling character traits that make great leaders, we are developing in them the capacity for leadership. Helping them develop critical thinking skills is also an essential for making informed decisions – a hallmark of great leaders.
Don’t wait till when they want to #RunForOffice…Start from when they are young & empower them to lead! How young? Hmmm… Follow the conversation on our blog www.parentinvestment.com; twitter @raveetal; Instagram @rave_etal and FaceBook @ravedigizen.
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ParentInvestment 
This is a beautiful instructive and excellent piece for all parents worldwide that care about the future of their children ;NOT Nigerian kids alone. RAVE Et Al should be congratulated and encouraged to continue dishing out more facts to Schools, Government and other Stakeholders on social media and Newspapers. Kudos to RAVE Et Al
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Thank you sir for your encouragement.
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