Can leadership be taught from childhood? Experts propose integrating it into education

For a long time it was believed that leaders were born. The first theories of leadership, from the late 19th century, understood it as an innate quality of a few. Decades of research have shown that skills such as communication, influence, decision-making or teamwork can be developed from an early age," explains Delia Rodríguez, CEO of Vestalia Abogados. "The most recent studies suggest that the first seeds of leadership are planted long before arriving at the company."

Marisa Berenguer, CEO of Farmalider, ThyTech and IDEA Tx, adds that "we have gone from associating leadership with authority, the ability to lead teams and hold positions of responsibility, to understanding that it is a position that starts from childhood: in the way in which a child learns to trust himself, listen to others, defend an idea, assume a small responsibility, make mistakes without giving up, collaborate to achieve something common, act with judgment...". Programs such as EntreComp, from the European Commission, or reports such as Future of Jobs, from the World Economic Forum, point in this direction.

The idea has to land in the classrooms. "Centers should opt for participatory leadership, where students have a voice and can make decisions in real projects, and promote skills such as teamwork, communication, responsibility and initiative. Public Administrations should support this line by incorporating these competencies in the curriculum, training teachers and giving autonomy to centers to innovate," claims Ana Cabezas, CEO of Soy Calidad, who clarifies: "The work of education belongs to the entire tribe to which each boy and girl belongs." "Parents cannot think that education depends only on teachers and schools, they have to be closely aligned, instilling respect in teachers," Cabezas emphasizes.

Luis Manuel Tolmos, general director of Brains International School, picks up the gauntlet: "Leadership is not developed through a specific subject. It is developed through experiences. Schools must create environments where students actively participate in projects, work as a team, assume responsibilities, learn to communicate their ideas, manage conflicts and can make mistakes without fear. We ensure that they have real opportunities to make decisions, lead initiatives, participate in solidarity activities, develop entrepreneurial projects or represent their peers."

And a note: "Sometimes, with the best intentions, we tend to overprotect children, when developing leadership involves allowing them to assume responsibilities, make decisions and learn from their own mistakes. And students must understand that leading does not mean commanding, but rather contributing, collaborating and making commitments to others."

Going down to the concrete, Tolmos explains that "purely theoretical approaches are increasingly used less and more methodologies based on real projects are used. "Students work on practical challenges, participate in simulations, develop innovation projects, present proposals to juries, collaborate with companies and institutions and learn about real experiences of professionals from different sectors."

Through the CINNED Foundation, they also organize meetings with jurists, businessmen, researchers, entrepreneurs, academics and managers "who share with students not only their successes, but also mistakes, difficult decisions and learnings."