What is a leader? By definition, a leader is someone who leads others towards a common goal, influencing them to do things and creates an environment of trust, support, and teamwork.
Being a leader is not as glamorous as the job title may suggest; it takes tremendous commitment, dedication, and selflessness.
For centuries, people have debated whether leaders are born or made? Actually, there are several answers for this question and all of them conclude that leaders are both, BORN and MADE.
In today’s workplace, we have many managers and supervisors, but few of them are truly leaders. So what are the main characteristics that you should embrace in order to become a truly effective leader?
Think Big
A leader is someone with a vision; he looks at the big picture rather than just focusing on one issue at a time. A leader always has a specific plan according to the situation at hand while maintaining a considerable degree of flexibility that allows him to embrace change and experience new things together with the team.
Be Decisive
Being decisive means more than just making decisions; you should be able to take risks, listen to your intuition and act upon it. That being said; you must never forget that it’s not a one-man show but teamwork and coordination. Anyone who thinks he can make it on his own is doomed to fail. Involving other employees in the decision making process will definitely create an environment of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty, but keep in mind that eventually the final decision is yours to make.
Learn to Have Empathy
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes. You should be able to understand other people, how they feel, what motivates them, and the best way to influence them. Showing sensitivity towards others means being receptive to both the verbal and non-verbal cues. The more you understand those who surround you, the more you can help them and help yourself. All in all, greater empathy gives you greater information.
Be Ethical
An ethical leader is someone with integrity. Defining your integrity and ethics gives you consistency in your actions and relationship with others. Being an ethical leader means that you must be able to take a stand when no one else is on your side. Exceptional leaders never say one thing and do another, they actually practice what they preach.
Growing Others
Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. However, the moment you become the leader success is all about growing those who surround you. Invest your time in helping other employees overcome their weaknesses and encourage them to speak their minds; this will encourage them to return the favor through hard work and loyalty. Eventually, leadership is all about getting someone to do something you want done because they want to do it!
Be Consistent
Make sure you have a consistent leadership style, this will help you avoid any confusion or mis-communication in the future. Define the roles and responsibilities clearly and follow through with reasonable and consistent rewards for when goals have been met or exceeded. Being consistent will not only enable you to get through the situation, but you’ll gain the respect and trust of your employees.
Admit Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. However, making a mistake as a leader can be more serious since you’re the person everyone is looking up to. Admit your mistake, correct it on your own time and make sure you learn from it. The best thing about admitting your mistake is that it allows you to grow. Realizing that you are not the next best thing since “Mansaf” is a good thing. If you’re not making any mistakes then you’re not doing much.
People seek out leaders unconsciously, and leaders would never hesitate to step up to the plate instinctively. Leaders are recognized, not chosen. They have something within them that others just don’t possess. It is an intangible quality that can’t be explained, but when you come across it, you will recognize it immediately.
Some people are born that way and some need to work on their leadership skills in order to stand out. It’s not so much your technical abilities as it is about inspiring other people to become better at what they do. Anyhow, if you are suddenly put into a leadership position, and are lost for ideas on how to use your influence, simply recall those qualities you admired in others you previously followed.
Wanting to lead is not enough; you have to have the capabilities, the skills, the talents and the ideas. If you believe you got what it takes to stir the crowds and move up to a leadership position, promote yourself on Akhtaboot.com
