Teach conflict resolution

You can’t act as a leader if you don’t know how to manage conflict. We all face conflict and learning to cope with those conflicts in a peaceful way helps build leaders. A great place to start is with sibling squabbles. I often hear that parents should step back and let kids “fight it out”, but I disagree. Yes, you should let your kids attempt to work out their differences at times, but playing mediator can also be useful. Ask your kids to state the problem, in their own words, using “I statements” (which help children to take responsibility for their own actions). Next, have them identify their needs. Third, work together as a team to find a compromise that suits everyone. Sometimes compromise isn’t possible and a break is necessary. That’s okay. Taking a break teaches kids that it’s okay to take time to work through conflict. They don’t have to solve every problem the moment it arises. All great leaders know this to be true.