Good parents give their child a fish.
( Chinese proverb revision )
Great parents teach their children to fish.
Overview
Every parent wants their child to thrive—not just in school or sports, but in life. The world is changing, and the old paths to success, like academics or athletics alone, no longer guarantee the edge your child needs. Leadership skills are the real game-changer: they build confidence, sharpen critical thinking, and empower kids to navigate relationships, teams, and challenges with grace and resilience.
That’s where we come in. KidLead is designed for parents and anyone working with children ages 5 through 15, providing the tools to identify and nurture leadership potential during the critical years when habits and mindsets take root. Dr. Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D., has been researching young leader development since 2005 and has taught leadership at the Naval Postgraduate School since 2010, bringing unparalleled expertise and insight to this mission.
With KidLead’s guidance, you’ll help your child develop skills that reduce the risks of being bullied, build team spirit, and foster socio-emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and effective communication—all while preparing them for a life of confidence and success.
Your child’s leadership journey starts here. If you want your child to succeed, develop them to lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is your mission ?
Equipping Parents to Leave a Leadership Legacy
KidLead’s mission is to empower parents to develop their child’s leadership potential. This will change lives and culture as future leaders grow early in ethical and effective influence.
Imagine sending your child to a top-tier university to study leadership… but you’re the professor.
What is your vision ?
Imagine This Future
Once upon a time, the world was run by leaders who randomly emerged in society.
Every day, people complained there weren’t more effective leaders and fewer unethical ones.
One day, someone came up with a way to identify and develop leaders, long before they normally came into power.
Because of that, parents began intentionally developing future leaders while they were still moldable.
Because of that, people worldwide began seeing the power of what young, well-trained leaders can do, as never before.
Finally, the time came when a new breed of leader ran the world more effectively and ethically than ever. The world became a happy place to live.
Who created the program ?
Dr. Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D developed this age-sized executive-caliber leadership training for ages 3 through 23.
What makes your training program unique ?
Age-N-Stage
One size doesn’t fit all. Because we focus on ages 3-23, we designed 5 unique curricula to match the developmental learning capacity of each phase. Learn more about these in the “Curricula” menu.
Executive Caliber
Our focus is organizational leadership, not just being a good citizen, performing community service, growing self-esteem and character, or team building. We’ve age-sized executive training, modeled after high-end adult programs.
Expert Design
Unlike most “leadership” resources for students by educators, LeadYoung is designed by organizational leadership development specialists in correlation with expert practitioners (teachers, educators, child/youth workers).
Project Based
You’ll not find talking heads or boring lectures. This is learn-by-leading, focusing on skills and experiential training methods (21st-century pedagogy).
Scalable
You don’t have to hire an expensive pro or send your students to pricey camps. Rather, we train people how to use this in their homes, schools and civic organization.
Visit Dr. Nelson’s Library or his Webinar to learn more details about young leader development.
Why start young ?
Getting to leaders while they’re moldable in their character and elevated in their neuroplasticity (ability to learn) promotes children 10-30 years ahead of traditional leadership development practices.
According to the Center for Creative Leadership, 90% of leaders surveyed believed leadership development should begin by age 21 and 50% suggested it start by 10 years old. * Unfortunately, the average age when formal leadership training starts is 42. **
We give leaders a 20-40 year head start.
* Survey of 462 responders, published by The Center for Creative Leadership (www.ccl.org)
** Reported in Harvard Business Blog Network, 12/2012 from 17,000 managers surveyed.
Who offers a class in your curricula ?
We certainly do at KidLead Academy. The KidLead Academy digital course reveals the secrets and strategies developed by Dr. Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D. Click the button below to learn more.
What is the difference between KidLead and LeadYoung Institute ?
KidLead: Designed for parents and educators developing 3-18-year-old leaders
LeadYoung Institute: Designed for 15-30-year-olds who want to be better bosses (great for training student leaders)
Tell me more about your curricula.
The world’s only executive caliber leadership training program designed specifically for ages 3-23.
If you want to change the world, focus on leaders. If you want to change leaders, focus on them when they’re young.
Dr. Alan Nelson
