The Hustler's Digest StaffThough some people appear to have that charisma that encourages others to follow them, authentic leadership is a blend of several complicated yet straightforward characteristics, what makes a good leader.
Seniority or one’s position in an organization’s hierarchy has nothing to do with leadership. Too often, when people talk about a company’s leadership, they’re referring to the top executives. Senior executives are precisely that. When you reach a specific pay grade or position, you don’t immediately become a leader. There’s a chance you’ll find it there, but there’s no assurance.
What is leadership?
Even though it’s a simple question, it continues to perplex both experts and laypeople.
Leadership is a social influence technique that leverages the efforts of others to attain a goal.
Although a leader may theoretically utilize social influence to coordinate the work of others, leadership is ultimately about maximizing effort. “Hey everyone, let’s line up and climb to the top of that hill someday,” it’s not like that. “Hey, see that hill?” rather than “Hey, see that hill?” Let’s see how quickly we can reach the top, and anyone who can defeat me up there gets the first round free.”
What makes a good leader for students
Leaders are in short supply in our world. We need people to step up and take responsibility at all levels, from children leading their siblings and classmates to high-level businesspeople and political figures.
Whether they are parents, teachers, or other authorities, adults are invested in educating their children to succeed in the future world. As a result, it is critical to developing them to become the types of leaders that the world desires and requires. Also, it is essential to show it to them by walking the talk and instilling in oneself the following qualities of a leader who inspires their students to become one themself.
Positive attitude
Great leaders understand that they can’t expect their students to be happy and motivated unless they are happy and motivated themselves. This can be accomplished by being positive when things go wrong and fostering a pleasant and cheerful learning environment.
Even small gestures like offering snacks or hosting a Happy Hour can make a big difference. A bonus is that if students are happy and acknowledged, they are more willing to work harder.
Even in the worst scenarios, such as low morale, a great leader maintains a positive attitude and finds ways to keep students motivated to address the problems.
Walt Disney faced his share of adversity and setbacks, but he persevered and sought new chances like any great leader. Disney discovered in 1928 that his film producer, Charles Mintz, planned to lower his royalties for the Oswald series. If Disney didn’t accept Mintz’s requirements, he threatened to terminate connections altogether, and Disney chose to do so. However, when Disney decided to leave Oswald, he created something new: the renowned Mickey Mouse.
Breaking down enormous difficulties into smaller ones and finding strategies to handle them one at a time is the key. Consider the lessons you can take away from the error and write them down because you can’t always win, and you can’t always learn.
Confidence
To succeed, all great leaders must project a confident demeanor. Please don’t mix this with arrogance or self-satisfaction. People should look up to you for inspiration rather than smack you in the face.
People will look to you for guidance on acting, especially if things aren’t planned. Team members are considerably more likely to remain calm and composed if they do. As a result, productivity and morale will remain high, and the problem will be resolved more swiftly.
They will know right away if you panic and give up, and things will only get worse from there. You won’t become a confident person overnight, but the tiny actions you do every day will progressively increase your confidence:
- You’ll appreciate yourself more if you write down five things you admire about yourself every day (something different each day).
- Work on your strengths and do everything you can to improve them.
Integrity
Every leader must have integrity as a core quality. You can’t manage a profitable business if you don’t have integrity. According to the self-development author Brian Tracy, when Brian Tracy hosts a strategic business meeting, the first value that every executive agrees on is honesty.
Business leaders understand that integrity is the cornerstone of decisive leadership and must stand firm in their convictions. A good leader inspires with his ideals without compromise, refusing to make false promises or take shortcuts, preferring thoughts and action before personal gain, no matter how difficult the situation. Delivering on the stated commitments ethically and morally sound is required to reap the long-term benefits.
Innovation
A creative genius with thought-provoking ideas is not an inventive leader; instead, they allow others to create their ideas. People with brilliant ideas consistently lack the will, commitment, and fear to act. Innovative leaders, on the other hand, are not among them.
Innovative people are always open to new ideas and debates. They actively listen to everyone and encourage people to think beyond the box. This quality offers them an advantage because they constantly look for new ideas and methods to improve.
As the innovative leader, Steve Jobs himself said, ‘Innovations distinguish between a leader and a follower.”
A sense of humor
A sense of humor is essential for any leader, especially when things go wrong. They will.
Your teammates will be turning to you for advice on how to handle a potentially dangerous scenario. It would be preferable if you weren’t tying yourself up in the corner with a noose. You must shrug things off because if employee morale suffers, productivity suffers as well.
Encourage comedy and personal dialogues in the office to create this climate before any meltdown.
It’s essential to learn to laugh at yourself. When you laugh about your foolish blunders with confidence, others will trust you more since you are eager to share your experiences.
Open-mindedness
Being open-minded is an essential leadership quality. Even if one does not agree or believe what the other is saying, one must listen and comprehend where the other is coming from.
This will allow you to understand those you lead and work with them more effectively.
When it comes to cross-functional teams, being open-minded is essential for success.
Rather than dismissing new ideas and thoughts outright, be open to them.
This means that you should:
- Recognize when you need to adjust your decision-making process and be willing to do so. People who come up with fresh ideas want someone who will listen and assist them in their thinking, rather than simply dismissing what they are saying without taking the time to comprehend it completely.
- Recognize the complexities of issues and how they may be interpreted differently by different people.
- Before concluding, be able to consider all sides of an issue and clearly articulate the rationale for your decisions without appearing closed-minded or rigid.
- Don’t discard other people’s thoughts too hastily; listen to all viewpoints before concluding any subject.
- Respect other points of view and methods of thinking, even if you disagree with them.
Being a successful leader demands being open-minded. You must be a good listener who takes the time to evaluate other people’s ideas and opinions rather than dismiss them outright.
Willingness to serve others
Student leaders are willing to go above and beyond to help others. This could be a circumstance where a peer is being bullied or needs assistance, in which case student leaders will step in to help. This can also be seen in acts of compassion and awareness of their surroundings. Due to this attribute, others will be drawn to these leaders as they find their activities admirable.
Core self-evaluation
According to research, self-esteem, locus of control [that is, taking responsibility for what happens in your life], self-efficacy [similar to self-confidence], and emotional stability are linked to effective leadership.
Trustworthiness
People will trust you when your attitudes, words, and motives match what you do. This involves being open and honest about mistakes, refusing to gossip or shift responsibility, and acting ethically (even if it’s more convenient).
Inquisitiveness
Have you ever watched exceptional leaders share their experiences and stories in Ted Talks? I’m assuming you have. If you haven’t already, I strongly advise you to do so.
You’d be surprised at how knowledgeable and curious these executives are. And the fact that they are always willing to learn new things. Their ideas, perspectives, and opinions are distinct and thought-provoking.
This is due to their natural curiosity and inquisitiveness about life. They pursue a variety of hobbies and remain committed to them. They are willing to widen their horizons by engaging with art, technology, and science. And, in fact, all of humanity’s knowledge. This quality aids in the development of a sensible and optimistic attitude toward any issues.
What makes a good leader for kids
Childhood is a delicate time. An epoch in which habits and personalities are formed. As a result, having mentors and leaders who instill objectivity and a winning mindset in them is critical. The question then becomes, what types of leaders do children require?
Even though our children are young and small, they have the potential to become unique human beings in the future. All that is required is an understanding and responsible leader who can positively lead today’s youth. Kids will grow into the sound, functional human beings that our world needs with every opportunity and encouragement to develop their skills healthy, productive, and acceptable.
A person aiming to be a good leader for kids needs to have the following traits:
Growth mindset
Any successful leader understands the importance of honing people’s abilities around them. The elite can spot particular skills early on. The development will make jobs more accessible as they progress and mature, but it will also increase morale. Furthermore, kids may gain some skills that they lack that will be useful in the future.
Great leaders empower those relying on them by sharing their knowledge and opportunities to succeed. This is how leaders earn the respect and allegiance of their followers.
Many Catholics and non-Catholics alike have expressed their admiration for Pope Francis. His job isn’t quite traditional, which adds to his charm, but he also possesses terrific leadership qualities. Pope Francis’ TED lecture was well-received because he urged leaders to be humble and show solidarity with people. In every setting, having a leadership style that is inclusive, courteous, and respectful is critical.
It’s critical to spend time conversing with other team members one-on-one to understand them better. Find out what issues your team members are facing right now and provide feedback and support to grow and improve.
Responsibility
Great leaders understand that they must take personal responsibility for failure in their company, workplace, or whatever scenario they’re in. How can they expect people to be accountable if they don’t hold themselves responsible?
The best leaders don’t make excuses; they accept responsibility and quickly resolve issues. This demonstrates their trustworthiness and integrity.
UC Irvine’s chancellor is Howard Gillman. You may have heard about how the university revoked several acceptances, only to reverse its decision. An exceptionally high number of accepted candidates elected to matriculate this past spring, prompting the institution to cancel offers due to missing deadlines. However, the college realized its error and reversed its judgment. Gillman and the institution admitted fault and moved on from their previous blunder.
Always ask yourself what you can improve on or alter about yourself. Accept responsibility for your actions and think about what you can do better to prevent this from happening next time.
A desire to learn
It’s safe to say that all great leaders will have to navigate new seas at some point in their careers. As a result, individuals must trust their instincts and rely on previous experiences to guide them.
Great leaders understand that there is always something new to learn from previous experiences. They can connect current issues at earlier lessons acquired to make quick decisions and actions.
You can either search your notes or recall what you’ve learned through your memories (ideally, a software that you can access anywhere with things well-organized).
Warren Buffett, one of the world’s wealthiest people, has primarily made the right decisions. Buffett, however, has made multiple multi-million (and occasionally multi-billion) dollar blunders while dealing with large sums of money. He has remarked that purchasing Berkshire Hathaway was his worst blunder. As a result of the terrible decision, he learned that pursuing “improvements” and “expansions” in the existing textile sector was a bad idea. Despite his blunders, Buffett has made excellent investments, and it shows.
Write down the lessons you’ve learned from any mistakes you’ve made to learn from the past effectively. Keep all classes adequately arranged, and use them as references if comparable situations arise in the future.
Earning the respect of the kids
Being a great leader is defined by the ability to exhibit respect, empathy, and concern for people who follow you. To have a good connection with someone, you must earn their respect while also demonstrating that you care about their work or ideas.
Being empathetic allows a leader to tap into an individual’s emotions to connect in a way that shows that you understand what it’s like to be in their shoes. Combining all three of these characteristics can result in a superb leader.
Encouraging nature
“I believe that one of the most important aspects of leadership is to recognize that everyone has abilities and talents. A competent leader will figure out how to channel those abilities toward a common objective.”
Ben Carson, the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Student leaders understand that everyone has their own set of strengths and flaws. They acknowledge and utilize the group’s strengths while also assisting in areas of weakness.
For instance, the Ant and Grasshopper group’s comic book strips are starting to take shape. The summary headings have been completed, and the document is beginning to take shape. One of the students then raises her eyes from her work. She says, “Hey Adam.” “You’re a natural at drawing people’s faces.” “Are you able to make faces out of the bugs?”
Emotional intelligence
A solid leader exhibits empathy towards others, has a good understanding of emotions – both others’ and their own – and recognizes that their mood can affect the entire organization’s performance.
Positivity
“Leaders instill hope for achievement and self-confidence in their followers. Positive leaders enable others to achieve their objectives.”
Unknown
Even if it appears impossible, student leaders believe that whatever goal has been set can be achieved. Their self-assurance instills hope in others.
For instance, the workday is coming to an end. The group of Whales and Dolphins is knee-deep in the blue paint you gave them. One of the whales has been partially painted. A determined expression covers the face of a pupil as he stares at the clock. “Hey, so far, this is looking quite excellent!” “Everyone, hurry up!” he exclaims. “We can certainly finish this whale before the end of class if we paint a little faster!”
Putting it all together
While influential leaders may demonstrate these leadership qualities to varying degrees, all strong leaders employ some of them. They provide the backbone of effective leadership everywhere: businesses, houses, or schools.
Authentic leadership is impossible without the skills mentioned earlier. Don’t worry if you lack some of these leadership qualities; there are ways to develop your leadership talents in general, including all of these critical features.
In other words, if you’re open to growth and willing to put in the time and effort to improve yourself, you may strengthen any of these qualities of a strong leader.
It’s also critical to remember that leadership is a social phenomenon. It’s less about a charismatic or powerful individual and more about a collection of people working together to achieve common goals. If you show several of the traits of a successful leader but don’t understand this, you’re not going to get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but achieving team or organizational goals will be difficult.
On the other hand, individuals do not have to wait to begin strengthening these qualities of a strong leader within themselves – you can start right now..
