Leadership is an important part of getting things accomplished while building relationships. We see designated leaders in our daily lives: in our homes, places of worship, households, school, and all sorts of other scenarios. Even our friendships tend to have self-ascribed leaders that often guide conversations and social calendars. While you may not consider yourself a “leader”, we all have these traits inside of us. Being able to pull them out as necessary can make life easier and help elevate you into new positions of influence. The best part? It’s easier than you think! Here are a few traits that set a good leader apart from the rest of the pack.
Confidence
I just watched the first episode of the first season of “Nathan For You”, which features a hilarious yet straight-faced comedian getting involved in all sorts of ridiculous workplace shenanigans. One featured Nathan interviewing for jobs while only using his confidence and the words from a 7-year-old, a sabotaging comedian, and a turtle. While this may be a silly example, it does highlight the fact that confidence can take us almost as far as any talents that we have in a certain field. Encouraging words to yourself, confident poses in the mirror, and recognizing that you deserve to be in the position you’re in are a few ways to boost your confidence before a leadership moment.
Understanding
Anyone can be bossy, but a true boss move is taking the time to understand your team. This allows you to adjust your leadership style and bring out the best in each of the individual members that you are working with. Getting to know people outside of the specific mission you are working on together is one way to better understand their needs and wants. Empathy is the name of the game here.
Flexibility
We can plan all we want - and we should. However, nothing will ever go 100% according to plan and we need to be okay with that. Learning to be adjustable and work around the restraints and obstacles that come into play is a crucial part of leading a team through a trialsome task. Understanding that things can and will change allows you to better adapt to the real-time challenges you face.
Be Accountable
When we think of leaders, it’s easy to imagine women and men who are almost always victorious. But true leadership on a daily level comes with multiple wins and losses - and the leader has to take accountability for all the above. It’s easy to bask in the glorious moments, but that’s not the full part of heading a team.
Positivity
The morale battle is just as important as any other task that your team is working on together. A positive or negative group mentality can fully shift the results of the trial at hand. As the leader, it is your job to set the tone. While there may be down times, a general spirit of positivity, community, and a can-do attitude can go a very long way.
Cover image from fauxels
