As a speaker, trainer and coach, Arthur C. Woods has helped people transform their lives and reach their full potential. Now the Manheim-based Woods is focusing on teenagers.

Earlier this year, he published "SPARK for Emerging Leaders: For Teens Who Want To Make a Difference."

"One of the fundamental beliefs I have is teenagers, regardless of how old they are, are leaders," Woods said, noting that his definition of a "leader" homes in on the application of influence.

He read a book by Tracey C. Jones called "SPARK: 5 Essentials To Ignite the Greatness Within," and he not only loved the book, but also felt he could adapt its principles to his work with teenagers.

"I contacted the author and said, 'You don't know me, but I'm a teen coach,'" Woods said. " 'What do you think about doing a version of this specifically for teenagers?'"

Woods and Jones met several times, both virtually and in person, and Jones and her publisher gave Woods the go-ahead to write the book, using the same framework as the original but focused on the younger audience.

"The book is set up to be extremely practical and ultimately get a young person to determine what is most important to them," Woods said, noting that the book includes discussion questions and opportunities for readers to define their values, passions and what they're excited about.

"It's really focused on middle school, high school and college kids," he shared. "It's about 'What does it look like for them to start focusing on what's most important to them and the direction ahead? Now that you've set your values and passions, even temporarily, how can you reach your goals?'"

Targeting the book toward teens was a natural fit for Woods, who was a youth pastor for about 10 years.

"I always had an interest in working with students," he said, noting that he loved being a pastor. "I knew I wanted to still do something that I loved, so I created my own business around that. It's life and leadership coaching."

He worked specifically with teenagers at first and then grew to also coach their parents and other adults.

He found that much of the messaging is the same, no matter the audience.

"Whether you are a 12-year-old or someone in their 50s, it's about asking, 'Who do you want to be? What do you want to do, and how can I as your coach help you get there?'" he said.

After he read Jones' book, he thought about the teens he works with.

"I tell them all the time that they are leaders, so I really thought they could benefit from hearing about and embracing the framework in this book," he stated.

He encourages teenagers to think differently about the definition of "leader." It's not about position so much as it is about character.

"You can lead your siblings. You can lead your classmates," he said, adding that teens can even demonstrate leadership skills in their relationships with their parents and other adults. "Our teenagers can lead and influence their generation and beyond."

He acknowledges that teens are most likely not going to pick up this book on their own and decide to read it. Instead, he hopes parents or other adults will introduce youths to the book, and he's also held a few workshops to go through the material in a group setting.

"The book is intentionally written to be short, easy to read and very practical," he said. "I encourage parents to put a structure in place such as, 'If you read this book, I'm going to take you out to eat at your favorite restaurant so we can talk about it.' I know there is a fine line between encouragement and bribery, but I don't think there's anything wrong with providing an extra incentive to encourage them to read."

He firmly believes teenagers have the power to transform their lives, and he underscores that parents should be their biggest supporters.

"I really believe parents are the No. 1 influence in the lives of teenagers, and I don't want to take away from that," Woods said. "I want this book to be something teens and their parents can talk about together."

He hopes parents of teens will pick up the book.

"The best time for teens to start their leadership journey is now," he said. "They are at an age where they are starting to really embrace a leadership identity and figuring out that identity. By the time they get to their 20s, they already have such a head start. The message I would share with a teenager is, 'You have the responsibility to be an extraordinary leader.'"

For more information on "SPARK for Emerging Leaders," visit http://www.sparkforemergingleaders.com. For more information on Woods, visit https://arthurcwoods.thinkific.com.