how to be a leader

Good Leaders Often Are Good Followers

Right off the bat, a good leader should be a good follower. Understanding the positions the follower holds is part of understanding what a team is capable of. knowing its strength and weaknesses. I am ninety percent against the type of leadership who comes from a different background and is placed in a position of power over those he or she has little understanding of the duties that is expected of them. Very next to the duties is the environment the team is required to perform at excellence. The basic foundational of a strong leader is to understand his team and their capabilities. True leaders were effective followers at one point. Respect for authority stems from this point of view.

Good leaders and Reliable Teammates

The reliability of a good leader is next in line. Your team will notice it immediately. If
you are not there to assess the situation and see the concern or confusion in the eyes of your team, it is easy to lose their respect and trust. The lack of personal interest to be there or try to manage from a phone line or through a supervisor who may not have the same rapport with the team will eventually bring down the morale. This one is a slow process depending on the kind of events and the frequency, it will tear down the shield of confidence off your team.

Leaders Eat Last

Team leaders who have concern for the well-being of their team truly value their team. Every individual is important and plays an important role in the organization. They should be happy and have a feeling of safety under team leadership. They perform with confidence and faith. Team leaders often have personal contact with the members and know them on first name basis and know a little about their personal lives. They occasionally ask, is everything ok with them or if there is any concerns that the members would like to speak privately? It also can suggest they literary eat last, cause they want to make sure his team is taken care of. Again, a sign of trust and respect for their well-being.

Leaders Are Considerate

Showing consideration is the second portion of caring and being sensitive to the team’s needs. Again, it adds the element of trust and respect to the team members. This makes the member feel valued and acknowledged. It goes hand in hand with the leader eating last, because they clearly suggest you are important to me. A sense of pride and acceptance within the team is generated, letting them know they are worth something. This slowly builds their self-confidence, and it is much more effective than sitting in a lotus position, taking deep breaths, and repeating “I am confident, I am confident”! Such positive affirmations are good and should be practiced but not as effective as acting on it or as I suggested when the team and the leadership clearly suggest with their actions that you matter and very much needed in this team. One of the best things you can do to a new hire is to welcome them, tell them you are happy they are part of the team now, and that they made the right choice with signing up with your organization. Warm Fuzzy Feelings!

Leaders Stay Off The Spotlight

Leaders tend to stay off the spotlight and often recognize the team individually for their accomplishments. I say individually because some do refer to the team as a who and ramble some numbers such as the goal or the quota they have achieved as a team. This has a little insincerity hidden within because it may suggest that you are only doing this out of necessity or being politically correct, instead of that personal touch by individually recognizing them for their specific talents or contributions. It’s a little tricky but people are sensitive, and they will recognize it eventually if you were complementing because you felt you had to as opposed to a true desire to do so.

Leaders demonstrate Humility, Strength, Loyalty, Courage, and Honor.

This section should be clear and essential for many relationships. Not just a team leader but in friendships, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, Husband and Wife partnership, Business partnership and sibling. Unfortunately, this is not a reality for many people but it is absolutely necessary and I highly recommend to start work on these traits with all these members spoken of in this paragraph. You may not be seen as a leader but certainly will be recognized and respected as someone who can be a great leader. Will jealousy and resentment be demonstrated at times? Yes, it may be in some cases, but for a true leader its not a concern to be publicly recognized so longs as they did their duties, then it is good enough.

Team up members who empower and teach each other values to help growth.

Team leaders recognize the team strength and weaknesses and often team up the right combination setting them up for success not failure. A good team leader wants to see his members succeed in life and excel. The cross training of different team members teaching each other to become supportive of the other indirectly teaches all members to want the best for all and be willing to share with all for the success of all. This ultimately build a stronger and more competent team in the event of absence or shortage of staff others can jump into battle and perform duties of others in a catastrophic event such as covid or other serious matters when cooperation of staff is needed to succeed in a given goal or objective. This makes your team as indispensable and a greater value is set upon them thus creating even more confidence and self-respect and self-worth.

Sad Reality To Consider and Be Courageous Enough To Call It Out.

Conversely the reverse is also true for poor leaders. Leaders who do not possess such skills are often very detrimental to the company’s success and the well-being of the team success in their personal life, and their overall mental wellness. Sociopathic and Narcissistic behaviors may be part of all of us to a degree and often under control, but very common with many leadership individuals. The leaders who know these methods discussed and actively elect to do the opposite, often do hold such positions, I am sad to say are evil individuals and can do a great level of harm not just to every individual’s personal life, their career, create havoc in the workplace, damage to the company’s image and it’s financial success, and even possibly to the industry as a whole as other follow this pattern of leadership. Such methods are often copied and reproduced by other leadership teams. This also can be initiated and encouraged by the corporate leadership who is intentionally hire such leaders to clean up and make a changes in the company dynamics for multiple reasons. As these leaders move on to other jobs with another notch under their belt and perceivably a larger and impressive resume they simply pass on a disease to the industry and continue to get better at it as they continue their path. The key is to be strong and courageous enough to stand up and call out such methods of leadership when you are asked to or if you see other members of the management team performing such actions. It’s a difficult task and not everyone can do this. Their personal agenda and financial well-being take over. A true leader would not let that happen and always does the right thing. Very rare.