‘Join Jackson’s Journey‘ is a series of children’s books designed to strengthen the leaders of today and build the leaders of tomorrow. Good Reading for Kids caught up with the author, Renata Roberts to talk about the importance of good leadership.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Good leadership is a key component of any successful organisation.

Leaders play an integral role in providing direction and communication. By fostering motivation and employee engagement. As well as by supporting and guiding workers through their day-to-day working life. They are the connection between an employee and the organisation they work for. An employee’s relationship with their leader goes a long way in defining the employee’s experience within an organisation.

Some people are natural leaders, however, most need to continually develop to genuinely succeed in demonstrating leadership capabilities. Sometimes the information we review as adults make being a great leader seem challenging. When actually, it is simple enough for even our children to learn.

Preparing children for success by promoting leadership capabilities that great leaders possess can help them reach for the stars. Wherever their journey takes them.

Leadership capabilities are the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours that an individual needs to make them a successful leader.

Readers, and the children they read to, are invited to join Jackson’s journey as he learns key leadership capabilities and shares these with you through a series of colourful and heartfelt stories. 

The titles in Join Jackson’s Journey are designed to help parents, teachers, and caregivers, support small children (aged 3+). Using new learnings that can set them up to be leaders in whatever they choose to do. The books can be read one-on-one, or in group settings and they are also ideal for older students (and adults!) to read at any age and stage.

Fourteen of the 20-book series are available now, in paperback and hardback format. The feedback we have received to date has been overwhelming and humbling. We have even sold copies in the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, France, Poland, and Germany.

Every story we share, we fuel inspiration for someone taking their journey towards building a supportive workplace culture. We have to start with our children for the benefit of all organisations across every industry. In so doing, our children will not have to battle for inclusion. They will be equipped to resolve issues and manage risks as they grow and create the workforce of the future.

Leadership skills can offer children many more opportunities if applied throughout their childhood and extracurricular activities – we just need to make sure they have the resources to help them, and it is to this end Join Jackson’s Journey was created.

MEET RENATA ROBERTS

Why is good leadership important?

All the powerful exposures in my life, particularly those experienced as a female working in a male-dominated industry, have highlighted to me the importance of quality leadership. How even more now than ever, we need leaders to lead from the head AND from the heart.

Good leadership provides a role model to look up to. Someone who shows the way and encourages people to be their best selves…and their authentic selves.

I genuinely believe with every story we share, we fuel inspiration for someone taking their journey towards becoming an inclusive leader. And we have to start with our children for the benefit of all organisations across every industry. In so doing, our children will not have to battle for inclusion. They will be equipped to create inclusive teams, resolve issues, and manage risks as they grow and create the workforce of the future in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world we live in today and will live in tomorrow. They will be naturally leading from the head and the heart.

What makes someone a good leader?

That’s easy to answer when you look at the titles of the Join Jackson’s Journey series.

A good leader is someone who is a positive influence and inspires others to follow them with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. They lead by example, showing empathy, respect, and being selfless. They actively listen to others and value different opinions and they receive feedback well.

Leaders have courageous conversations and need to be creative in order to solve complex problems and make tough decisions. They are inclusive and take care of their team. By helping them to grow and encouraging them to believe in themselves and to be okay with being themselves. They will celebrate the success of their team members. A good leader is a good communicator, will ask questions to be collaborative, and manages conflict, change, and risks effectively. And most importantly, they never stop learning and growing. They spend time self-reflecting and they know it is okay to make mistakes as long as they learn from the mistakes.

So, what makes someone a good leader? I created Join Jackson’s Journey to help strengthen the leaders of today and build the leaders of tomorrow – so I am hoping that this series of children’s books will be a resource that makes many people good leaders.

What do you hope readers take away from your series?

My premise is that presenting key leadership capabilities as simple messages demonstrated through the lens of a child, aided by colourful illustration in a reader-friendly, entertaining, and relatable story format, will help build the leaders of tomorrow and strengthen the leaders of today as they read to young children.

The titles in Join Jackson’s Journey are designed to help parents, teachers and caregivers, to support small children (aged 3+), through new learnings that can set them up to be leaders in whatever they choose to do.

Leadership skills can offer children many more opportunities if applied throughout their childhood and extracurricular activities – we just need to make sure they have the resources to help them, and it is to this end that I have created Join Jackson’s Journey.

Can you describe this book in three words?

Educational, colourful and fun.

Read a book review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After having worked in the corporate world within human resources for over 20 years, author Renata Roberts decided to combine her learning from teaching, her experience with leadership development, her journey of being a mother to a small boy, and her passion for being an advocate for diversity & inclusion within the workplace. For Renata, these exposures highlighted the importance of quality leadership in businesses, and how even more now than ever, we need leaders to lead from the head AND from the heart.

She felt that preparing leadership capabilities into simple key messages demonstrated through the experiences of our children in a bit of colour and story, will help not just build the leaders of tomorrow, but also strengthen the leaders of today. 

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORS

Vanessa Fernandes is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Perth, Western Australia. She runs a small design studio from her little old beach house. Vanessa lives with her wonderful hubby, two beautiful children and one smelly little pug.  She has been fascinated with drawing and art since she was old enough to scribble. As a child she loved nothing more than having a pen and paper to keep her busy for hours. More than 40 years later, nothing has changed.

Josefina Luna spends most days by the beach connecting with nature, practicing yoga and enjoying dance and music. Drawing is a big part of her every day and her love for art began at a very young age. She’s always been curious about cultures and how people interact. This led her to travel the world following a high intensity corporate job. She’s experienced first-hand the need of reinforcing the leadership skills that we naturally have as kids and which are often lost with the influence of modern society.

Gemma Elaine is an illustrator and designer living and working on the Gold Coast. She has illustrated educational children’s books for Pearson Education and Griffith University. As well as providing numerous illustration and design work for her clients. Including self-published children’s books, mascots, personal commissions, and logo design work. She’s always had an interest in art, and has always been the ‘kid who can draw’. When she’s not illustrating or working as a graphic designer in a design agency, she’s teaching up-and-coming designers at Griffith University.

For more information or to purchase these books visit www.joinjacksonsjourney.com