What I have learned over the years ... leadership at its best
What does it take to be a leader? Is everyone meant to be a leader? Can anyone be a leader? These can be tough questions to ask and to get answers to. Some say that the great leaders are born; some say that the great leaders are taught, I believe that the leader is within and it takes you to be that leader. Leadership is not necessarily a formal designation within a group, rather a leader is one that is influential in others lives particularly influential in the areas of behaviors, decisions, opinions, or attitudes. Leadership requires more than a leader personality. Who is the best leader - authoritarian leaders grow others dependant on them showing a high degree of internal solidarity; democratic leaders grow ‘group minded' individuals who are friendlier and look to peers for mutual approval; while laissez-faire leaders grow individuals who are notably lacking achievement making fewer decisions overall. With that said, it is important to note that, however, depending on the situation, different leadership types, styles, and characteristics are required to accommodate varying situations, making good and bad leaders in every situation. Anyone can become a leader, but it takes a little effort to be an effective leader. How do you become an effective leader, what are the "steps" you take to become an effective leader? Let's leave the steps to becoming a leader for another discussion, rather let's focus on the words of wisdom that can guide you through the process of becoming an effective leader. Becoming a leader is a never ending process, a lifelong journey.
Ok, so are you ready for some good words of wisdom? Let me give you a few minutes to grab your cup of coffee, or your hot chocolate, my personal favorite, turn off your phone, grab a comfy chair, and sit down, relax, and enjoy the next few moments as you think about the pieces of advice I am going to pass along to you. These are just a few of the words of wisdom I have taken with me through my journey and hope they will also be useful to you in your journey.
- Take a risk and get out of your comfort zone
- Have an open heart and an open mind
- Share rather than compare
- Become a doer and help others to become doers as well
- Take the effort to encourage rather than to criticize
- Become a great follower - the greatest leader is the greatest follower
- Understand that you are going to have to sacrifice and you are going to give up some privileges
- A great leader is never satisfied, they are always looking for more, always looking for what else they can do
- Great leaders do not quit, they always have a plan and a constant course of direction. Your plan and direction may take a few side courses throughout the years and a great leader is able to proactively accommodate those changes.
- It takes courage to succeed, courage to be different, courage to be a hard worker - do not give into the pressure, do not give up
- Never stop learning, never stop growing
- What you put into being a leader is what you will get out of it
- Always seek out the opportunities and challenges in life - be an adventure seeker
- Put your heart in it, give it what you've got
- In order to leader others you have to be able to lead yourself
- Take the time to listen - mouth closed, ears and eyes open
- You are only worth what you give away and you can only give away what you have
- Being a great leader you have to understand that you have to be proactive rather than reactive
- Positive leaders encourage the learning process while negative leaders hinder it
- A leader that is focused on me's and I's is ego driven, a leader that is focused on we's and us's is mission driven
- Only lead others where you yourself will be willing to go
- Your actions speak much louder than your words
- Every day is a new day, yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a new day, however has not come yet - focus on today and make today the best day you can make it
- Be able to use what you know - build upon your strengths
- Repetition improves everything and rehearse better than you want to perform
- Take opportunities to acknowledge others around you
- Give it a try, you would be amazed at the things you can do - remember to also encourage others to do the same
- Be willing to fail, but remember to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try it again - use failure as a key to success and do not worry about failing rather think about the chances you may miss when you do not even try
- If it is something you believe in, be willing to take the heat for unpopular decisions
- Are you willing to be the best
- Understand that you are not perfect and the best at everything - leaders tend not to make the best performers
- Do not waste another minute, take action
- Be a servant - always be willing to give to and help others
- Focus on the solution not the problem
- If you want others to follow you have to make your followers feel important, you have to explain to them exactly what you want, you have to communicate with them (don't assume that they know what you want), and when something goes wrong take the blame
- Have faith in others
- Understand that change is not instant, change takes time
- No how badly you want it, it is the extra effort that is going to get you there
- If you want to become a great leader, become a great role model
- When setting goals ensure that they are not only achievable but they are also stretchable
- Understand that conflict makes for resistance where resistance is supplied by either positive or negative energy - make sure you are running with positive energy and not negative energy
- Leaders are all about RACE - Risk (it takes good and bad risks to be a leader, are you up for the challenge), Acknowledgement (to be successful, leaders have to acknowledge those around them), Commitment (a leader is one that is committed, total commitment), and Excellence (a leader performs with excellence, all the time)
- A great leader never stops the self development process
- A great leader is always willing to help others
- A great leader recognizes the need for self-discipline in that gratification is always delayed
- A great leader has a total commitment and not a convenient commitment
- A great leader leads with honesty and good judgment
- A good leader understands that they make mistakes, a great leader learns from those mistakes
- A good leader will make sure things get done, a great leader will make sure things get done while making others look good
- A good leader sets the rules, a great leader knows when the rules can be broken to build unity
- A good leader has good communication skills, a great leader has effective communication skills where they are able to communicate in a variety of ways and at a variety of levels
And to add to those few (ok, maybe a little more than a few) words of wisdom, a couple key characteristics of an effective leader you should keep in mind as you continue your journey.
- Effective leaders are an inspiration to others
- Effective leaders take the time to coach others
- Effective leaders take the time to show others how it is done
- Effective leaders genuinely care for others
- Effective leaders are initiators
- Effective leaders are able to anticipate problems and issues
- Effective leaders are integrity-driven
- Effective leaders are built on trust
- Effective leaders facilitate high standards
- Effective leaders are always willing
- Effective leaders are achievers
- Effective leaders are visionaries
- Effective leaders are receptive
To great success as you continue your journey ...
| Author Name: | Melany Goulding |
| Author Email: | melany@eodresources.net |
| Company Name: | EOD Resources |
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