Transcripts

"Commentary"-Exposing Hidden Leaders

JEFF YASTINE: The documentary "Ten-Nine-Eight" debuts in theaters nationwide this week. And tonight's commentator coaches teen entrepreneurs and she says teens make natural business leaders. She's Shonika Proctor.

SHONIKA PROCTOR, TEEN ENTREPRENEUR COACH: When I mentor teens, I see their determination, power and potential as they put business ideas together. This experience has made me realize that entrepreneurship is not a course or a class, but a level of consciousness that many teens have, but are unaware of. When given encouragement and opportunity, they see their strengths and how they can be a teen entrepreneur now. In experimenting and trying to figure out how to create their own identity, teens instinctively use the personality traits shared by successful entrepreneurs. They are creative, opinionated and tend to challenge authority. They do not segregate work, learning and play, which through the eyes of a parent can be misinterpreted as being unfocused. Teens who are seen as unmanageable by their parents or teachers are often the ones displaying early signs of innovation, fearlessness and leadership. If you have seen these personality traits in the teens in your life, maybe it is time you reassess your perception of their potential. I have worked with teens that fit this profile who have overcome life challenges and negative labels to beat the odds in school, life and business. They have written and published books. They have designed and manufactured products. They have even been featured on national television. So I leave you with this thought. Take your teens' aspirations seriously. Although they may not conform to the world around them, perhaps this is exactly the trait that will allow them to create their own world, a world we call a business. I'm Shonika Proctor.