Whether or not you realize it, you are a leader. Whether it’s your family, friends, or colleagues, the world around you looks up to you as a leader. In the world we live in, someone is always looking for leaders. Take the explosion of social media, for instance. Over the past few years, our world has suddenly become connected to men and women all over the world. For better or worse, these social media influencers have the platform to lead and influence others.
Make no mistake, not everyone who wants to be a leader has the skills to lead. It is even more common for leaders not to be prepared to become the leaders they desire to be. Regardless of where you find yourself today, there is room for you to grow as a leader. Here are a few resources to help you become the leader you want to become.
Get to Know Yourself
Discovering who you are as a leader is about your personality type. Do you rally others to get something done, or do you prefer to meet with people one-by-one? Do you like to consider all options before decidingor do you prefer to wing it? Knowing your leadership style does not limit your potential, but rather gives you a starting point when it comes to communicating and influencing others. Here is a short quiz you can take to help determine your leadership style.
Become a Role Model
This is a crucial aspect of leadership as others are looking for someone to show them the way. A key part of helping others is demonstrating what’s right, or what’s wrong, whether you’re a manager at a business, a stay-at-home mom, or a social media influencer. As a leader, try to showcase the positive attributes or skills you want others to achieve.
Show Others
As a leader, people are looking at you all the time and others are looking at how you react to certainsituations. It’s important for you to not just tell others what is important, but to also show them. This does notnecessarily mean you need to be louder and more dramatic, but it does mean that you should think about how you look when talking to others. For example, what is your facial expression and tone? Are your arms crossed? How you present yourself is very important as a leader.
Learn to Listen and encourage feedback
Whether you are talking to a large crowd, or one-on-one, listening is one of the most important aspects to every successful leader. For example, getting feedback from others can be challenging and at times discouraging. Taking the time to listen to others and showing you care about what they have to say will help create a positive culture of value and promote growth.
Inspire others
Now that you have shown others how to do something, it’s important to inspire them as well. As you inspire your colleagues, friends, or followers you create an environment where others are more able to express themselves, build trust, and promotes personal growth. Remember that everyone needs a pat on the back at times.
Continue to Grow
Every great leader recognizes their need for personal growth. No matter where you are in your career, strive to be better than you were last year. If you feel like you are stuck in a runt, this is a great time to look outside yourself in order to grow. Reach out to people you respect or find books they’ve written. Your leadership journey does not have to look like anyone else’s, but you might learn a thing or two from those who have gone before you.