Inspiring future leaders through Play Based Coaching

When we coach children, one of the biggest hopes we carry is that they’ll learn to lead their own lives with confidence, courage, and clarity. We want them to grow into young people who know who they are, what they believe, and how to stand tall when the world feels uncertain.

I believe there’s one thing we sometimes forget:  Children can only rise into that kind of leadership when we’re showing them how. Not through perfect lessons or clever coaching tools, but through who we are and how we show up, especially on the hard days. That’s something I’ve been reflecting on deeply lately

Children Learn to Lead by Watching Us Lead Ourselves

When a child walks into your coaching session, they don’t just listen to your words. They *feel* your energy. They observe how you handle stress, how you respond to feedback, how you treat yourself when things don’t go to plan.

That’s leadership.

It’s not about being the adult who’s always got it together. It’s about being the adult and coach who’s willing to pause, recalibrate, and keep going with kindness and self-awareness.

This matters because children are learning what it looks like to be human and more than that, they’re learning what it looks like to own your humanity without shame.

The Courage to Take the Lead

If we want children to lead their own lives and to trust themselves, speak up for what they need, and honour their feelings then we have to do that work too.

We can’t encourage them to rest when they’re tired if we’re burning ourselves out. We can’t tell them to listen to their gut if we constantly override ours. We can’t invite them to show up authentically if we’re hiding parts of ourselves in order to be “professional” or “together.” So lately, I’ve been asking myself:

Where am I still abandoning myself in the name of being strong for my clients?

The answer has come in small but powerful ways. Taking more walks in nature. Letting myself cry without needing to “fix” it. Saying no when I need rest. Reaching out for support when the load feels too heavy to carry alone. These things may seem simple, but they’re the foundations of leadership and children need to see them in action.

What Happens When We Lead Ourselves First

When you choose to lead your own life gently and truthfully, with all the mess and magic, you give children a living example of what’s possible. You show them that leadership isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about alignment. It’s about showing up with your whole self, even when it’s hard.

In doing that, you create space for them to lead and: 

• To trust their own voice.
• To make mistakes without fear.
• To choose integrity over approval.
• To rest when their bodies ask for it.
• To rise, again and again, as the leader of their own life.

That’s what coaching children is really about and it begins with us speaking the language of childhood which is play. Leading through play is the philosophy that underpins all the coaching programmes we offer at Kids Life Studio®. My Play Based Coaching System® is a leadership system designed to enhance a child's strengths and maximise their potential. This doesn't mean we aim for perfection, but it is all about embracing the messy along with the progress. 

So if you have been feeling like you are struggling. Take a breath. Recalibrate. Assess and reflect. Inspiring children to be future leaders is easy when you have a success mindset for yourself. Mindset is everything, so you need to keep working on yourself alongside the children you coach. Play more, laugh often, live, love and dance! That way, you will embody the power and spirit of childhood in your work! That is the secret to inspiring children to lead!