How can I become a great leader? 17 attributes That Worked For Me.
By Antoine G Larosiliere
If you’re in a leadership position, but are having mixed results leading a group of people; you’re probably wondering, how can I become a great leader?
In my professional life I normally stay away from leadership roles to prevent an interference in my family duties. I’m normally a team member who pays close attention to the failures in leadership that compromise the effectiveness of my colleagues and I. After 25 years of experience noticing the attributes of poor and great leaders; I’m able to answer the question: how can I become a great leader?
In the past couple of years I was thrusted into a leadership position, and my team was able to accomplish what few teams were able to. Consider the following tips for how I got the team to perform and why you should incorporate these leadership attributes in your daily life.
“a leader is a person who has commanding authority or influence.”
What is a leader?
According to Merriam-Webster, a leader is a person who has commanding authority or influence. Leadership is a role that is important in every setting. There’s no escaping the impact of poor leadership. It affects everyone who follows and benefits from the leadership. We’ve seen what can happen to a county when there’s failed leadership. A poor leader can have your country in economic and social turmoil, while a great leader can have the people in the country living prosperously. But leadership is also important in sports. If the quarterback isn’t a good leader, the football team will likely not succeed. If neither parent can lead, the family unit will struggle. If the company you work for has a poor leader, productivity won’t be as high as it could be.
1. Be a model of what you’re looking for.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “lead by example.” You can lead on a short-term basis without “practicing what you preach.” But, to sustain long-term effective leadership, you can’t get around this one. Without leading by example, there will be defection and dissension amongst some of your followers, because you will appear hypocritical in their eyes. You are the ultimate example, so set it. If you don’t tolerate lateness, you need to always show up on time as well. If you want those that follow you to always dress appropriately for the occasion, you must also always do the same. There will be occasional circumstances, where getting to work on time is difficult, or attire is compromised because you spilled coffee on your tie; but those things must be an anomaly. Being able to emulate the behaviors you request of your followers, will galvanize them around your efforts, and bestow you with admiration.
2. Listen to your team first.
A lot of people like to hear themselves speak, especially these self proclaimed “leaders.” But, the best leaders do a lot more listening than speaking. Listening allows leaders to hear the concerns and ideas of the people who follow them. Listening gives much needed insight to a leader on how to lead and why they should do so in such a particular manner. Your followers will tell you what they need to work harder, smarter, and more enthusiastically, you just have to listen. When you’re listening to your team first…
Have a purpose: Have a clear purpose for the meeting or the conversation. Know exactly what you hope to achieve. It can be somewhat vague. For instance; it can be to see if they are happy, to see if they have concerns, or just to gain insight to how they feel about leadership.
Remove your agenda: Even though there’s a clear focus for the conversation, don’t try to influence responses that accommodate any agendas. Don’t coerce them into supporting your ideas, by beginning a question with, “don’t you think……”Let people speak freely, whether you like the responses or not; whether they make you uncomfortable or not.
Ask questions: Ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a yes or a no. Ask questions that begin with, “what were, how exactly, how will you, why are you,” to name a few.
Clarify what you hear: Repeat back what you hear for clarification purposes. Assume nothing. It makes sure that there are no misunderstandings going forward.
Observe non verbal cues: Pay attention to what is not being said. Watch body language, and facial cues or gestures. Some people struggle with openly expressing themselves in front of others, but their feelings and concerns are important as well. Observe their reactions when someone else says something and when you say something.
3. Speak and share your thoughts last.
After everyone who wants to speak, has spoken; speak last. It shows that you are considerate and more interested in what others have to say. It also allows you to be more prepared to speak. You’ll have a better idea on what to say and how to say it. You will have had a chance to adjust what you were going to say and make it more fitting given the groups concerns or insights. If you would have spoken first, you would have never had that opportunity. When you are speaking…
- Make eye contact: Making eye contact helps you focus on what’s being said. It lets your audience know that you’re engaged and helps them feel validated.
Be authentic: Now that you’ve heard them, address the needs of the audience, not yours. Be genuine with your word choice and convey the importance of working together. - Be vulnerable: Don’t speak as if you’re trying to protect yourself. Don’t respond defensively, but more compassionately. Let them know you’re not perfect and that you’ve made mistakes. Covey how those mistakes have hurt you and how you’ve unintentionally hurt others.
- Know your audience: Share examples, stories, and concerns that your audience can relate to. Use emotional language that shows you understand how your audience feels. Be empathetic to their needs and the needs of their families. If your followers know you care about them, they will care about you.
- Adjust your non verbal cues: Watch your body language. Make sure your gestures are matching your words. Make sure you’re using the proper tone to communicate your message.
4. Stay positive regardless of what happens.
Some leaders are full of energy and are very enthusiastic throughout the day. But If that’s not your personality to be that way, you can still be positive. Staying positive inspires your followers to do the same. It keeps the focus on the ultimate goal, and helps digest obstacles less harshly. It keeps your followers from losing heart, and succumbing to pressures and temporary set-backs. There are good and bad consequences to every problem. Don’t disregard the negative consequences, acknowledge them and find solutions to them. But, lead with your focus being on the positive consequence. The keys to staying positive regardless of what happens, you must…
- Focus on the good things: Don’t wallow in self-pity or worry. Focus on everything good about the situation. By focusing on the good things, you’ll attract more good things your way.
- Appreciate the opportunity: I forgot who said, “the closer you get to your goals, adversity increases,” but it’s true. Appreciate the opportunities that exist, when you’re struggling or facing obstacles. It just simply means you’ve been productive and on your way to success.
- Embrace the moment: Use your senses to experience your physical surroundings. It helps you live in the moment and quite internal negative thoughts. The memories associated with your senses, can help bring back a sense of gratitude that will lead to some positivity.
- Find humor and laugh: Doctors are on record saying how healthy it is to laugh, so I’ve always taken their advice. I try to find humor in every adverse situation. It’s also easier to stay positive if you realize the situation is temporary. It de-stresses the people around you and helps everyone to refocus. It affects your body language and makes you feel good physically; helping you stay more positive.
5. Motivate the people around you.
Leaders encourage their followers to maintain focus. They also motivate you to act when you’re searching for reasons to do so. Some leaders motivate with enthusiasm and passion, some just know how to push your buttons. You don’t need to make speeches, sometimes it’s just about knowing what to say and when to say it. To keep your followers motivated, you can also…
- Inspire them: Tell them why they are part of the team as opposed to someone else. Point out their knowledge, skills, and experiences that make them suited for the team and its purposes. Place high expectations and let them know you expect them to meet those expectations.
- Show them appreciation: Thank them sincerely and praise them privately and publicly.
- Reward them: Certificates, gift cards, plaques, public recognition, and other gift ideas would work. Even a handwritten note thanking them for their efforts would give them a sense of accomplishment.
6. Get to know your team.
How can you lead someone, you really don’t know? The answer is, not effectively. Imagine if you knew what motivated them, what their interests are, what their upbringing was like or what future goals they might have; you’d have a lot more information to lead them, wouldn’t you? You have the inside track to what makes them tick. But, is that realistic? Many leaders don’t have the time to get to know their team members so intricately, but time should be put aside weekly if not daily. Leaders must make those connection efforts to build a sense of trust and understanding between the leader and the group. Other things a leader can do to connect with the team includes…
- Participating in daily activities and making yourself available for questions.
- Have a central location where team members can go to relax or interact socially.
- Having weekly outings so the leader and team members can bond.
- Making efforts to learn something new about each employee daily.
7. Keep the team informed.
Some leaders believe, the less the team knows, the better. They believe the sharing of information will lead to their judgment being questioned. Questioning the judgement of leaders involves other aspects of leadership and not just the sharing of information.
Keeping your team in the dark, makes it difficult to motivate and connect with them.
It’s hard to get a team to buy in when they don’t know what they are buying. So, communicate with your team, make them feel like they’re part of the process, and they will also share information with you. How you disseminate that information is important as well, that is why being a strong communicator is essential.
8. Request assistance, instead of giving orders.
This is a continuation on how important communication is. Being an effective communicator is a skill that must be acquired if you plan on maximizing your leadership potential. No one likes to be bossed around, even if you are the boss. Wielding your power, by going around and giving commands comes off insecure. You’ll look like a bully not a boss, and definitely not the kind of leader other’s will want to follow. Therefore, you have to learn how to request assistance instead of giving orders. Giving orders or telling people what to do is a natural reaction, but if we are conscientious; we can change that. Giving orders can make people feel defensive, it puts distance between people and crumbles the foundation of most relationships. Asking, or requesting assistance builds trust, confidence, brings people together, creates a sense of cooperation, and community. Possible suggestions to help you request assistance instead of giving orders include the following…
- “Could you please …?”
- “Can you assist me with….?”
- “Would it be possible for you to …?”
- “May I suggest you …?”
- “How would it work if you …?”
9. Take responsibility for your mistakes and others.
No one is immune to making mistakes. We all can, and will make decisions which at the time of making them, appear to be a sound choice; but deliver undesirable results. To put yourself in position to continually take risks require courage. All leaders must take risks, that is the nature of the role; and making risky decisions can come often. When those decisions don’t pan out, leaders assume responsibility; they don’t point the finger. They must exhibit their strength, confidence and courage by admitting they were wrong. Admitting you’re wrong is not a sign of weakness. Your honesty and openness will be respected as a leader. To take responsibility as a leader, you should…
- Ask for Help When Needed: Asking for help shows vulnerability, transparency and a willingness to fix the problem.
Regularly review decisions: This will prevent the damage from a poor decision from getting too big. - Take responsibility when misunderstandings occur: How information is disseminated is also the responsibility of the leader. If there are misunderstandings, the leader must take an active role in providing clarity.
- Take ownership of negative results: The members of your team will also make mistakes. It’s important that they are held accountable, but it’s even more vital for the leader to also assume some responsibility. Leaders are responsible for choosing their teammates, so they must also be held responsible when those same teammates make mistakes.
- Have clear consequences: Be transparent with results and consequences. The team members are entitled to know what will happen given certain circumstances. It is considerate to share how the team members roles will be affected when standards are compromised.
- Say, we instead of I: This will allow for the team to feel more like a community. It helps everyone feel invested. Leading isn’t egocentric, without buy-in; you can’t lead.
10. See problems as progress.
It’s previously mentioned that to lead, we must stay positive. That’s easier said than done. How about just being cool, or not overreacting. We admire the people who can do that, because many of us panic or shrink in those opportunities. The great leaders are able to be cool, and even stay positive because they don’t see problems the way we do. They see problems as progress. They see every mistake made, as one less mistake they’ll make in the future. They realize the more mistakes they make, they’re not getting further from their goals, but closer to perfection. The unfortunate part is that it takes a degree of experience to develop this outlook. Leaders spend years making mistakes, and witnessing the growth that comes from those mistakes.
11. Place people in position to succeed.
If someone is leading a task or project that they tend not to excel in, and the foul things up; whose fault is that? If someone is removed from a task they excel in, and the project fails, who’s fault is it then? Ultimately it’s the leaders fault everytime. If a leader has taken time to get to know their team members, placing them in position to succeed should come easier. Leaders have to quickly identify the gifts and strengths of people. Then leaders should place their trust in the expertise of those individuals to carry out the plan. Help them lead a project that connects to their gifts or passion. Don’t micromanage. As long as the right people are in the right positions; give them space to execute the way they see fit. Don’t look over their shoulders, trust the decision you made.
12. Give people what they need to succeed.
A leader needs to set their team up for success. That also means having the tools, or tangible items required to succeed. Sometimes it requires the absence of something. For example, a quiet place to work removes disruptions. Or, removing a disgruntled team member to work peacefully and efficiently. Some team members may need training or paid tuition to further their education or get more credentials. Leaders may also need to provide networking opportunities to stimulate the growth of their team members.
13. Always reward accomplishments.
Who doesn’t like to be rewarded for their accomplishments? No one. We all want to feel appreciated for our hard work and a good leader should celebrate your efforts. It doesn’t really matter how big, or how small the rewards are, they all leave an impression. The sooner the reward is given, the more effective it is. Leaders shouldn’t wait a long time to reward their team, it loses its efficacy. It could be something as simple as thank you note, or a $5 Starbucks gift card. Great leaders realize offering recognition improves a team’s morale, and people who feel appreciated tend to perform better. Some other ways to reward accomplishments include…
- Take them out to lunch
- Time off
- A public thank you
- Buy them tickets to a concert, show or other event
- Give them a small gift card from their favorite store
- Provide them with a formal letter of appreciation for their personal file
- Give them a new title
- Give them a pair of movie tickets
- Get them a subscription to their favorite magazine
14. Don’t criticise team members publicly.
Sometimes your team members will make mistakes. It’s important no matter how big the mistake to temper your emotions and don’t lash out. Even if the team member was disrespectful or offensive during a meeting, do not retaliate or address it publicly. If this person is a person of value, you will likely do more harm than good. The feedback or criticism should be for the purpose of growth and development; not to embarrass or “put them in their place.” Therefore, do it privately, using the right words and tone. Show more concern than disappointment. The team member will be much more receptive and sometimes appreciative to the approach.
15. Lead with love and compassion.
Most leaders don’t lead with love and compassion, that is why it is so appreciated. Most leaders make the mistake of perceiving kindness for weakness, but it is quite the opposite. It takes a lot more strength to be consistently kind. People always know when you care about them, and they respond well to it. Being kind doesn’t mean you shelter people from the truth. If you care about someone, you tell them the truth; just make sure it’s done politely. Sometimes people make mistakes and we don’t realize they’re going through a tough time. Understand we are all human beings, from different backgrounds and with different personalities. Compassion will allow you to give team members what they need. In turn, the team members will be more willing to give the leaders what they want. Leaders who lead with love and compassion, are usually the most revered.
16. Work visibly harder than your team.
It was already mentioned that leaders should lead by example, but that is especially true when it comes to work ethics. If your followers are working their tail off, they won’t be too pleased to see their leader hardly working. There needs to be a mutual respect for work ethics, and it needs to be visible. The leader most likely won’t be doing the same tasks as the team members, but their hard work needs to be visible. There should be no guess work in regards to the work ethics of the leader. If the leader could somehow work even harder than the team members; in my personal experience, it resonates even more.
17. Have a vision of success.
According to Macmillandictionary.com, vision is the ability to think about and plan for the future, using intelligence and imagination. A leader without vision, is a leader who doesn’t know where they are going. Therefore, won’t ever get anywhere of significance. Vision gives leaders meaning and purpose to what they do. When team members are brought into a leader’s vision, it can drive performance. Vision must…
- Be clear organizational direction and purpose.
- Incorporate the involvement of all employees.
- Reflect the strengths, values, beliefs, of the leader.
- Inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment, of team members
- Make team members feel they are part of something bigger than themselves.
- Be communicated and shared regularly, weekly, even daily.
- Be the reason courses of action are taken.
- Challenge team members to be better.
Anyone can delegate tasks responsibilities and tell others what to do, but that’s not what leadership is. Great leaders empower the team and transform potential to success. Hopefully this article has been helpful. Also visit my YouTube channel for more insight to these topics.
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