How to be a great leader

As humans we’ve always wanted someone to lead us. We need someone to look up too, someone to proudly say we follow Him/Her. So why?

You probably consider someone as ‘your’ leader, you might say you don’t, but you most often do. Whether your leader is your teacher, student, parent/guardian, political leader, paster, army officer, etc. you will most often follow someone. Leaders often play a crucial role in the functioning of society, whether it is at a workplace, or a political setting. They motivate us to go places that we would never otherwise go. Leaders are needed both to change organizations and to produce results. But when you boil it down: leaders motivate us. And make us feel success. When your leader is praised and hailed as a hero, you’ll feel proud. It is through these main principles that many leaders are born. To be an effective leader, you must understand your own motivations, strengths and weaknesses. Great leaders connect with their team by facilitating open communication, encouraging employee growth and development, and giving and receiving feedback.

Some leaders had done things for the greater-good, whether they spoke up for minority groups, fought against racism, and gained equal rights for women. These leaders we have been proud to back up. But not every person has leadership qualities (you can probably name a few). Some people may be selfish, greedy, a lier, imposing, or just plain evil (Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini). And yet they have flocks of loyal followers willing to do their every whim. The main reasons: people hate being leaderless, it feels unnatural, we fear it, we need a leader. Also because they tell people what they want to hear, (who’s heard of a politician who told you what you need to hear?) So what is good leadership qualities?

Ambition: you have to have a strong will to achieve something, and being a good leader should know what that something is. Whether your ambition is to raise money for charity, doing a big project at work, or even the will to achieve your own definition of success. Your ambitions should be known, so that you know your goals.

Good Listing Skills: if you have good listing skills, most people would be drawn to you. And if you don’t you should practice. When people talk to you, listen. Really listen. So that when they ask for feedback you have something to say. And making eye contact is another way of showing you’re listening. It might seem weird at first but with practice you can gain this skill.

Empathy: the dictionary definition of this word is: the abilities to understand and share the feelings of another. That’s pretty self explanatory. Being a good leader demands some level of empathy. Empathy for your coworkers, empathy for your employees, and even empathy for your boss.

Respect: to have respect for someone is to have esteem for them. But you might be thinking; “If I’m a leader shouldn’t my employees/coworkers show respect for me?” In a short answer yes. But do you respect your leader? No-one will respect the man who respects no-one. When you show respect (by saying things like ‘thank you’ when your employee finishes something. Or ‘please’ when asking a coworker to do something) you will be taken more seriously. Try it. If I’m wrong let me know.

Integrity: integrity is a very important attribute. “A man (or woman) with integrity is a man with strong morals, and man who is honest, and man who is worth following. Most of us has some code of morals. If you aren’t sure what your code of morals are you can get a piece of paper and just list down what you stand for, and for what you don’t. Example: 1 I don’t lie (that’s obviously a moral most have, but having it and practicing it are two different things) 2 I show respect for those who do hard jobs or gross but necessary jobs. 3 I won’t kill anyone. 4 I won’t bully anyone. 5 I will remain truthful to my spouse. These are all different morals, and as humans we’ll probably mess up somewhere. And even some don’t have these simple morals. Some aren’t honest, and spotting a fake leader can be easy with practice.

To learn how to put these principles into practice and exercise them will undoubtably help you in your path to leadership. It has been my dream to be a great leader, both politically, and motivationally. I hope this article helps. But nether forget why you’re a leader. And remember one of the most important truths: power corrupts. Don’t let your leadership get to your head.