Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

The leader does not have to be officially elected or the chief executive officer. Whether in everyday life, in school or at work, the leader is always the person who is an example, leading and leading. Not flashy titles, but the qualities and actions that make a true leader. If you want to be the best leader you can be, you need to work hard to develop skills, balance power with compassion and show that you deserve the trust of the team.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Developing leadership qualities

1. 

   Be confident, even if you don't know everything. Keep a poised posture, make eye contact and gesture when speaking to emphasize important points. Show confidence and genuinely believe that you are able to lead the team forward. Besides, you also need to be firm enough to admit when you don't know something without feeling insecure.
   • Imagine you say "I don't know", while looking at the ground, your hands and feet wiggling. Now picture yourself saying "I don't have the answer, but I'll find out and give feedback later", but this time you straighten up and look into the other person's eyes.
   • Even if you don't know something, you won't become a bad leader. On the contrary, an ineffective leader will feel insecure and will not admit to being wrong.
   • Don't forget that confidence and arrogance are only a thin line apart. Admit that you don't know everything and don't act like you are superior to everyone.

2. 

   
   
   Learn as much as you can about your field. Take every opportunity to hone your knowledge, whether you are a sales leader or a president of a school club. Knowing what you are saying will help build your confidence and win the team's trust. Granted, you can't know everything, but people will doubt your ability if they ask you any question you say you don't know.
   • Worse yet, if you don't know something and pretend to know and it turns out to be wrong, your team will no longer trust you.
   • For example, if you plan to raise money at school, check the organization's website for guidelines for coordinating events.
   • If you lead a team of engineers, research everything you can about the products the team makes, attend foster events, and stay up to date with techniques and software. new relevant.

3. 

   
   
   Find one adviser experienced. Growth has no limits, even when you are in the top leadership position. Find someone who has great leadership skills you admire. You can also chat with the person during coffee or lunch breaks, or ask if they are willing to serve as a long-term mentor.
   • Find an idol who has passed challenges and achieved goals like yours. For example, if you are a female student in high school or college, you can attend public speaking events of female leadership speakers.
   • It might be embarrassing to ask someone to be your mentor, but try to relax. Simply contact someone who has achieved the goals you set for you, admire their accomplishments, and ask for advice.
   • In addition to embracing learning opportunities from more experienced people, you should also advise the people you are leading.

4. 

   
   
   Learn how resolve conflicts. If there is a heated conflict between team members, you need to speak up so that the people involved can restrain. Give everyone time to calm down, if necessary. Identify the cause of the conflict and take action.
   • Try to understand each person's point of view and keep an objective attitude.If you have a way of finding a scenario that will please both parties, do your best to come up with a compromise solution.
   • Let's say you are running a factory, and something goes wrong - a design error caused an order to be canceled. A salesman, angry at losing his commission, shouted at the design staff for making a mistake. Tell both of you to calm down, stress that the act of anger is unacceptable, and reassure both that the new screening system will prevent similar problems in the future.
   • Remember that in a professional setting, you can assign your HR manager to handle escalating conflicts between employees.
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Part 2 of 3: Effective leadership

1. 

   Resolute, but understanding. As a leader, you need to enforce clear rules and boundaries. On the other hand, you can be defended by the team if you don't keep a balance between power and compassion.
   • When enforcing a rule, explain to the team why it is important. Instead of shouting "Don't waste paper", say, "Everyone please don't print anything unless absolutely necessary. Material prices are increasing and affecting the company a lot. ”

2. 

   Decisive Don't hesitate. Defend your decisions, but don't be overbearing. Collect information, listen to multiple streams of opinions, and take time to discuss. Once the issue has been discussed, make a definitive decision.
   • Let's say your group of friends are discussing what to do tonight. Everyone hesitates, hesitates and opposes each other's opinions. Then, someone stepped forward and said "Guys, now we will do '' this. That is the person who takes the lead, knows the situation that requires command and takes responsibility.
   • Remember that sometimes you need to make a decision right away, but there are times when you need to gather information. Ask yourself, “Will a hasty decision hurt anyone? Do you need to make a decision now or do you still have time to discuss it with others? "
   • Be flexible if needed, and be ready to navigate when new information becomes available.

3. 

   Assign tasks and clearly explain the roles of the members. The leader will not control everyone every little bit or hugely do it all. When assigning tasks to your team members, clearly state your expectations and give the necessary guidance. You will have more confidence in your team members completing a mission if you enable them to be successful.
   • An explicit request would be as follows "Complete documentation of specifications for at least 5 construction projects, by the end of the week." One ambiguous expectation would be "Making some spec sheet".
   • When you need to train someone, model yourself and explain the steps at the same time. If possible, watch as they start, and gently correct them if they make a mistake.
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Part 3 of 3: Dominating the team's trust

1. 

   Treat team members with respect. Show everyone your sincere sympathy; They will realize if you really care about them. Listen when people speak, praise them when they are positive, and never use inappropriate language. Remember that you are the one that sets the team style, so set the type of behavior you want the team to perform.
   • Don't forget that showing respect to your team members doesn't mean you should indulge their impulsive ideas.
   • If someone disagrees with you, listen to their arguments and use the information they give to correct your decision. If their opinions are not relevant, you should also show that you respect their opinion, but you are going in a different direction.

2. 

   Keep promise. If you swallow a promise, you will lose everyone's respect. You may have charisma and extensive knowledge, but if you say it without keeping your word, it will most likely be overthrown.
   • In order to fulfill your promise, you must know what can be done, what is not. Be realistic when you make your promise, and make sure it's within your means.
   • For example, don't promise to give your employees a "huge" salary increase, unless you're 100% sure the budget allows. If you run an on-campus club, do not promise that you will raise additional funding without talking to the principal or the school's administrators.

3. 

   Ask your subordinates for feedback. When you are in a leadership position, people may be afraid of you and may not dare to proactively make constructive criticism. Instead of waiting for everyone to speak up, ask your team specific questions about what you need to do to perform better.
   • Don't ask questions that have a "yes" or a "no" answer. Instead, ask specific questions like "What do you see I can do to be a better leader" or "Is there a way I can communicate more clearly?"

4. 

   Responsible. Defend your decisions and take responsibility for possible consequences. If something goes wrong, you will have to accept responsibility and don't blame others to cover your mistakes.
   • Imagine yourself as a captain holding the fate of a ship, and it is your responsibility to get everyone on the right track.
   • When things go wrong, a good leader must be persistent. Instead of burying your head in the sand, see failure as an opportunity to learn.

5. 

   Dress up to your role. Your appearance can create trust, but remember that there is a difference between dressing to impress and dressing to influence. Dressing up impressively, meaning over-dressing, can create distance between you and the people you're leading.
   • For example, if you run an ordinary restaurant then a suit and tie is the wrong outfit; it can keep you away from your customers and alienated by employees.
   • If you were a high school student council president, a plain, straight-buttoned shirt you wear when you go to a meeting is more affectionate than ripped jeans and a rusty shirt.
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Advice

• Helping the team achieve their collective as well as personal goals. Remember, motivating and empowering individuals to succeed is part of the goal of taking the team to the next step.
• Don't be a manager, be a leader.
• Always do what you have told others to do. Nothing can make a leader lose people's trust more than hypocrisy. Once you've set the rules, you need to comply. You must be an example for others to follow.
• Charisma is also helpful, but trust is always more important than attraction. Sincere kindness will take you far beyond fake charm.

Warning

• As a leader, you are under the spotlight, meaning that all your actions are carefully examined. Your values ​​and ethics are just as important as your knowledge and skills.
• Be careful when building close relationships with team members. Don't choose favorite people and don't be biased.