We live in a world where it’s so easy to follow. It’s easy to follow people online and in the media; easy to keep up with your favorite celebrities. It’s easy to stay in your comfort zone. It’s easy to do what you’ve always done. This means it’s a little more tough to be a leader, however, tough is not impossible.
When you make up in your mind that you want to be a leader, there’s a lot that comes with it and change is one of them. Now, a leader is not necessarily someone who tells everyone what to do. By definition to lead means to show (someone or something) the way to a destination by going in front of or beside them.
In other words, a leader shows you what you need to do rather than tells. A leader is either going to do is in front of you or with you. A leader has good intentions. A leader can help you elevate. A leader isn’t afraid to do it first.
If you want to lead, there’s a few things you should work on while developing your leadership skills. Here’s a few suggested online.
Learn to Follow
A true leader has no problem yielding control to another person when appropriate. You should not feel threatened when someone disagrees with you, questions your thinking, or puts forth their own ideas. Keep an open mind and give merit where merit is due. It won’t always be easy, but if you learn to value and respect others on your team, they’ll be more likely to step up to the plate for you.
Walk in Humility
No one is the best at everything, and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can learn to be a good leader. Delegating tasks to others not only frees you up for things you do well, but it also empowers other people on your team.
Be a discerning listener
Becoming a leader doesn’t mean you always have to be in the spotlight. An important trait of a good leader is someone who listens to suggestions, ideas, and feedback from other people and builds on them. Good listeners know that communication is not only about words, but picking up on non-verbal cues, such as eye contact and body language.
Always Continue to Learn
The best path to becoming a good leader is to be open to learning new things. It keeps your mind sharp and your skills fresh. It primes you for new challenges that may come your way, which is always a good thing for a leader.
Empower the People Around You
Being a leader means you are part of a team, and as a leader, you should be able to motivate and inspire those you work with to collaborate as best they can. When a team member needs encouragement or guidance, offer it. Sometimes, all a person needs is someone to listen and be sympathetic.
Practice Discipline
A good leader needs discipline. Developing discipline in your professional (and personal) life is a must to be an effective leader and to inspire others to be disciplined as well. People will judge your capacity to lead by the amount of discipline you display at work.
Demonstrate discipline at work by always meeting deadlines, keeping appointments, and ending meetings on time. If you are naturally disorganized, then you may have your work cut out for you, but you can always start small. Try implementing good habits at home, like starting your day with a healthy walk or exercise.
These are just a few to start with but with these tips in place, you’ll begin to see the leader in you like never before. Once you master your skills, humility, and communication, the leader in you you bleed through your presence. But you have to make sure you want to lead for the right reasons. To be a leader you truly must follow, but you have to be bold enough to handle the tasks at hand. Most times if you were born a leader, you know. You can feel it, however you still must make it a priority to develop you!