Most of my life I’ve heard adults, mentors, teachers (pretty much everyone), tell me not to be a follower. “Be a leader, not a follower,” they’d say.

In the time I’ve spent being a substitute teacher and counselor during the summer program at a preschool, I’ve noticed there are already signs of the children either naturally acting as leaders or followers.  Some of these children aren’t even 2 years old yet, so clearly it is an organic behavior – not learned.

There is one little girl in my summer class who I think about specifically.  She follows the lead of all the other children, no matter what.  Good or bad behavior, doesn’t matter. She follows.

My co-teacher will often scold her and say, “Don’t be a follower, be a leader.”  And while she means well, I sometimes want to correct this.

If we were all leaders, who would follow? Why are we putting so much pressure on children to be who they aren’t? If someone is a natural follower, let them follow.  This should be congratulated just as much as children who are showing leadership qualities.

What we should be teaching children is to be leaders of themselves. We should teach them to follow their hearts, passions – things they really care about.

Above anything else, teach them to be who they are. Because that’s all they’ll ever be.