There are many qualities that we want to instill in our children. One important trait to place in our teenage sons is of leadership. Here are ten ways to do that, without them even knowing you are trying to teach them anything.

1. Live By Example – The best thing you can do is be a leader in your own home and life. Kids are like sponges, soaking up the qualities and behaviors that we exhibit. Be a decisive and fair leader and they will begin to follow by the same principles on their own.
2. Give Them Opportunities To Lead – When my kids were little we used to go for walks. I would choose the path around the neighborhood, then I would give them turns to play “navigator” and lead us back home. Giving your son an opportunity for leading will teach them how to do it.
3. Take Opportunities To Ask Them About Situations – Let’s say you hear about an event that happened in a high school, such as a teenager getting jumped by a group of other students. Ask your son what he would have done. Make him consider his values and what is important to stand up for.
4. Teach Them To Stand Up To Their Friends – Peer pressure is a common issue for teens. You can get past it by teaching your son to stand up to his friends when they are wrong, even if it is hard.
5. Be Firm About Right Versus Wrong – Some things are right and some things are wrong, period. Giving your son a firm grasp of which is which and teaching him to always choose what is right will take you far.
6. Encourage Them To Join a Team – Teams are a great way to learn to be a leader. It doesn’t have to be sports…a math league, a gaming team or anything else that requires decisive action will give them practice in leadership every day.
7. Teach Them Decision Making Skills – Not everyone is good at making decisions. Teenagers are especially inept at making good decisions because their brain has not developed to do so yet. Your lessons can give them a head start in using and growing that part of their mind.
8. Be Confident – Confidence is an important part of leadership. If you are confident yourself when leading it will rub off on your son. They will be more likely to emulate your actions.
9. Have Them Make Choices On Your Behalf – This is another way of giving them practice. Give your family members a chance to make decisions on behalf of the family. This could be as simple as choosing a restaurant or activity on the weekend.
10. Don’t Always Fix Their Problems – It can be so hard not to immediately jump into helping our teenagers work through something. Standing back and making them deal with it on their own is the best thing you can do for them.

Find out more at Help Your Teen Now.