KidLead Insights

There's a lot of confusion about capacity and development when it comes to leaders, especially young leaders. Here's a 1-page article that CADA published, offering some of my thoughts on the issue. Click HERE to read.

We're excited to see the release of info related to LeadYoung Institute, our localized approach to identifying and developing 10-18 year olds, gifted in organizational leadership. Click HERE to read a story published by Conejo Valley Lifestyle magazine.

While I love teaching leadership and org change at amazing institutions such as USC, the Naval Postgraduate School and Pepperdine, I know that if we're going to fill the leadership pipeline with effective and ethical leaders, we need to get to them while they're moldable, not moldy. Thus, I've started a free training video series for teen leaders called Young Leader Feeder. They're 2-5 minute PowerPoint videos with age-sized content I teach my MBA students. Here's a link to the first 2 and please pass the word:  https://youtu.be/NkTlx8cawBY  (EQ: Self-Awareness)  https://youtu.be/ILRCbfFKOSE  (EQ: Self-Management)

This morning, I began meeting with principals and school administrators, introducing them to LeadYoung Institute. Although I've now sent emails to all public and private schools in the Conejo Valley, I'm curious as to who the early adopters are. My first meeting was with Mrs. Carey Bartlow, Principal of Cypress Elementary School in Newbury Park. I was very impressed with her recognition of students who were social catalysts as well as understanding the difference between leading and administrating.  I've found this is more rare than we'd like to think among educators. So while I'm excited to meet more local educators, I'm very impressed with Principal Bartlow. No doubt Cypress has a bright future with her leadership. http://www.conejousd.org/cypress/Home.aspx

We are excited to announce the launch of the world's 1st program to identify and develop 10-18 year olds, gifted in leadership ability. LeadYoung Institute (LYI) is a local program, designed to be scalable for other communities, seeking to recruit organizational leadership talent among the very young. LYI begins its focus on educating adults and partnering with schools, faith communities and civic groups, for the purpose of nominating qualified candidates to join a network of future leaders, who receive project-based training, modeled after executive programs. We also plan to use LYI as a means for doing research that will catalyze the efficacy of young leader development.  For more info, email us at info@kidlead.com or call Dr. Nelson at 831.869.8532.

We're official!  LeadYoung Training Systems is open for business.  Check us out at www.LeadYoungTraining.com.  Now you and/or your fave organization can obtain the world class organizational leadership training curricula for 2-23 year olds, without being certified. Although Amazon.com has our materials as well, we offer a big discount if you buy directly from us; avoiding the mega-middle man (although we appreciate Amazon's distribution).  We'll still offer certification for those who desire to use it most effectively, but tell everyone you know that a new generation of effective and ethical leaders are on their way!

Years ago, we met a preteen named Jeff DeWit, who attended the same church as us. Jeff eventually became a family friend who babysat our sons. He went to USC, then became a successful stock trader, got married, and is now the state treasurer of Arizona. A few months ago, Donald Trump asked Jeff to be the COO of his campaign and we know the results.  So while Jan. 20 is the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States. It's also my behind the scenes view of how a 12-year old can grow up to become a very influential leader and why we all need to be looking differently at the children, preteens and teens around us, seeing their leadership potential and developing it as soon as possible. Here's an LA Biz article I wrote, related to this. Click HERE .

All LeadYoung Training curricula, age-sized for 3-23 year old leaders, are designed to develop organizational leadership training skills in the very young.  To do this involves selecting a specific student who is in charge of leading 3-5 of his/her peers in a project with a clear goal. This individual wears a Leader Lanyard, to let the others know s/he should not be hijacked, but allowed to lead. It is the lanyard of responsibility, NOT authority. As the Los Angeles Chair of the Institute for Management Studies, I work with billion dollar corporations, assisting them in developing their leaders.  One of the most difficult things they face is promoting technicians to managerial positions. Titles do not a leader make. Leaders understand the power of synergy, when a team outperforms the sum total of the individual participants. Leaders elevate the IQ of a group, beyond that of its smartest member(s). LeadYoung's project-based training curricula are modeled after executive programs

No matter what you think of Walmart, the world's #1 retailer knows how to get things done. I interviewed the Director of Global Strategy and Leadership Development, Dr. Jay McNaught, who did his dissertation on how leaders make decisions.  One of the reasons that good leaders make bad decisions is because they're unfamiliar with their preferred decision making style and how it is less effective in certain situations. We need to help young leaders discover theirs and then understand its strengths and weaknesses.  To read my L.A. Biz article on this, click HERE .