HOW STUDYING ABROAD CAN MAKE YOUR CHILD A BETTER LEADER?

7 Compelling Reasons Why Study Abroad Shapes Your Child Into a Global Leader
How does studying abroad develop leadership talent in students? Our experts outline 7 reasons that reveal what makes them strong and capable leaders.

When your child opts for higher studies abroad, you hope that your child will gain an academic edge, some cultural experience, and global exposure. Little do you expect to see a difference in his/her leadership skills. But in our experience, almost every student who goes abroad comes back with a personality makeover. We have found a marked difference in their communication skills, confidence, and leadership abilities. So what makes students develop these skills abroad? We have identified 7 important factors that build students into fearless leaders after a study abroad program:

1.Independent Living Teaches Them to Be Responsible.
Parents have noticed a sea change in their child’s demeanour in the first year of staying abroad. Living abroad independently brings with it a host of challenges which your child will have to tackle alone. From minor issues like replenishing groceries, finding repair services, getting acquainted with the city, -- to major issues like traveling safe, choosing electives, or juggling study and work priorities – they have to do them all. Initially, these may seem overwhelming for parents and children. However, with the help of the international student association, classmates, and college officials, your child will learn to go through these hurdles easily. When your child learns to live independently, they develop self-esteem, and confidence. With no fall-back option to rely on, they learn to be responsible and accountable. An able leader needs to be strong enough to take all challenges up front. Merely by living away from family, with all the chord cut short, your child blooms into a budding leader.

2.Social Skills Get Honed in a Multi-Cultural, Diverse Environment.
Communication in your local environment is easier than communicating in a multi-cultural environment. While many of our body language, signals, and words are understood by fellow citizens, there is no such luxury when you stay amongst people of all races and nationalities. Moreover, your child picks up valuable social skills by simply interacting with others. Some even learn a few foreign languages. Your child will learn what’s considered a social taboo and what is not. Social skills are crucial for any leader. With the right kind of people skills, communication, and interpersonal skills, your child will be poised to become a leader.

3.Working With Teams Develops Their Basic Leadership Skills.
Teamwork in a diverse cultural setting, where people of different backgrounds, interests, knowledge, and perspectives get together is the most enriching experience for any student. Also, in a team of different personality types, your child picks up important life lessons on how to handle the hustlers, the non-co-operators, or the dormant team members. To get your points heard, appreciated, and accepted by the team requires a strong EQ. A good leader needs to know how to deal with every type of team player and employ methods to utilize their strengths to reap maximum advantage. These are the important team skills that get honed while studying abroad.

4.Thinking on Their Feet Develops Critical and Logical Thinking Skills.
Sometimes, critical decisions will need to be taken in a flash of a moment. Back home, your child has the comfort of pushing back this decision making on you. However, as a student abroad, often the responsibility will rest on their shoulder. Some decisions may work well, others may boomerang. These are life lessons no school curriculum can ever teach. It is only by staying abroad in unfamiliar surroundings that your child can pick up this essential leadership skill. Not just making decisions, students also learn to be accountable, and accept their failings and shortcomings, that makes them develop into mature leaders.

5.Exposure to All Kinds of Leaders and Influencers Changes Their Perspective.
During their interaction with school officers, professors, students, and industry heads, they get real-life exposure to a variety of leaders. Mentoring with these leaders will shape their leadership skills too. Often teachers and corporate professionals are happy to impart their lessons on leadership. Your child gets the rare opportunity to interact on one-on-one basis with top leaders and develop his/her own leadership style.

6. The Global Worldview Exposes Them to a Broad Range Out-of-the-Box Thinking.
There is no one correct way to approach a problem. This is an important lesson that students pick up while studying abroad. Most problems have multiple solutions, as long as you are open to creative solutions. Students living abroad learn to come up with out-of-the-box thinking. They get to experience, and apply their own creative solutions to problems they face daily. Also, talking to people from different work backgrounds will help them refine their own perspectives. The worldview teaches them to see the wood beyond the trees. These leadership skills will help them sort and prioritize problems and tackle them with ingenuity and courage.

7. Access to Modern Facilities Gives Them a Technical Edge to Resolve Issues.
International schools have the best facilities, cutting-edge resources, and access to latest technology. Staying abroad your child gets first-hand experience access to modern amenities which will teach them to employ technology to resolve problems. As a leader, your child will develop the technical proficiency that is needed to be on par with the best in the world.

Staying abroad develops students into well-rounded individuals. On the one hand, the independence and global exposure develops your child into a strong and capable leader. On the other hand, the people skills teaches them to stay grounded, and build core values such as fair play and empathy. These dynamic skills help build students into global leaders that are ready to take on the world.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

ReachIvy is a premium education and career advisory that helps aspiring students get accepted into top tier educational institutions globally. We have successful admits at MIT, Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, Oxford, University of Chicago amongst others.

Vibha Kagzi, Founder and CEO, ReachIvy, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. She has also pursued courses at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics and the Indian School of Business.

Our global team of counsellors have also acquired their degrees from premier institutes and are passionate about sharing their experiences with students worldwide.