Why is leadership development important for young people?

It's true that today's young people will be tomorrow's leaders, but we believe young people are also called into leadership right now — in the playground, on the football pitch, or around the family dinner table. 

Understanding leadership as influence unlocks a powerful perspective. We want to raise up leaders who have formed their character even before they develop their competency. We want to release young leaders who pursue God’s kingdom.

We have a spiritual mandate to be leaders. Every follower of Jesus has received the invitation to lead. At the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20) Jesus calls us to shape society with integrity and faithfulness using what God has given us: our one life.

You don’t need a title or a stage to be a leader. It’s not about position or prestige. Leadership is being a non-anxious presence in our homes, our schools, our workplaces. It’s about shaping the environment simply through the way we live. That means leadership isn’t just for a few. It’s for all of us. We all have the power to set the culture around us. Because if we don’t shape it, something else will.

Effective leadership requires integrity — the kind that lasts. We want young people to be getting their character right now, so that they can be impacting culture now. It’s about leading all the way through life, not just if we’re given a platform. Building a life of lasting impact starts with character.

We’ve seen what happens when leaders go beyond where their character can carry them — and the damage it can cause. Now more than ever we need to be investing in young people, raising up a generation of leaders who will impact every sphere of society. Shaping the culture of tomorrow starts with developing leaders today.