What Teenagers Can Teach Us About Future Leaders

What Teenagers Can Teach Us About Future Leaders

What were you like at 14? Quiet? A bit rebellious? Always first to hand in your homework? According to a recent article in The Economist, those early traits might matter more than we realise when it comes to leadership.

The article explores a fascinating study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Researchers followed over 800,000 children born between 1958 and 1982. At age 14, their teachers assessed their behaviour and attitudes. Then the researchers tracked their careers over several decades to see who ended up in top leadership roles. The results were eye-opening.

It turns out that certain personality traits spotted in early teenage years are strong indicators of future success in leadership. Children who were described as "industrious" or "studious" had a much higher chance (about 40 percent higher) of becoming high-earning bosses in later life. That is quite a leap. And it was not just about being clever. In fact, traditional measures of intelligence, such as cognitive testing, had far less impact than you might expect.

The real stand-out traits were those linked to perseverance, reliability and social skills. In particular, the children who balanced confidence with a sense of cooperation tended to go the furthest. They could get things done but also work well with others. This combination seemed to predict leadership more effectively than academic performance alone.

Another interesting finding was about those pupils who were a little more difficult in the classroom. The confident disruptors, you might say. While not necessarily ideal students, many of these individuals later went on to become successful entrepreneurs. Their ability to challenge the rules and think independently when channelled in the right way proved to be a real asset in the world of business.

For those of us working in leadership, recruitment or professional development, this research is worth thinking about. It reminds us that raw talent on paper is only part of the picture. Often, the qualities that really drive long-term success are those that cannot be easily measured: determination, emotional awareness, the ability to stick with things, and the confidence to speak up without alienating others.

This also poses a question for those of us well past our school days. If our teenage personality influences our career path so strongly, how much can we really change as adults? The honest answer is probably a fair bit. But it is helpful to reflect on what comes naturally to us and where we might need to develop.

And for anyone working with young people today, whether in education, mentoring, or even parenting, it is a gentle reminder. The habits, behaviours and attitudes that children build during those early teenage years may shape more than just their GCSE results. They might be laying the foundations for the kind of leader they become in the future.

It is never too early to spot potential. And never too late to grow your own.