There are many facets to becoming a leader. Some people are born leaders while others are self-made, but almost always, leadership starts with you. If you want to be a leader, you need to think, act, and be like a leader.
Influential leaders don’t concern themselves with what people think about them. They simply do their best. If you are the best, people will follow your lead. Here are six qualities that you can adopt to become a vibrant leader.
Be More Valuable
All relationships are based on a principle of give and take. Although not necessarily something tangible, there is a constant exchange between individuals regardless of the relationship the two individuals have. To become a vibrant leader, you need to be able to add more value to others’ lives. The more value you add, the more you will gain from it.
Networking and adding more people to your circle is a great way to expand your leadership skills. When you view each day as a chance to grow and learn and add value, you begin to use each day to its fullest capacity and improve yourself as an influential leader.
Improve the Kinds of People You Associate with
The old saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ still rings true. This is one of the reasons why successful leaders are usually very selective about whom they surround themselves with. You might be familiar with another saying, you become the people you associate with. Take care to associate yourself with people who are positive and can lift you up. They often also impact the way you feel and how you see yourself.
Improve yourself by being picky about the people you spend your time with.
Have a goal
Leaders are usually concerned about finding solutions to problems around them. What is that challenge around you? Recognize it and make it a duty to affect change. A life without a goal is one without meaning. Let’s be blunt, a purposeless life is a useless one.
Having a goal gives you a sense of direction, and something to stand up for.
Have a plan
To be a leader, you should have a plan, in example a defined strategy with a timeline. It is better to have a plan long before you enter into a situation so you can see things from a clearer and more optimistic standpoint.
As you progress in your journey, jot down when and how you overcome the challenges that came your way. Learn from past challenges and spend some time thinking about different scenarios that might arise in the future.
Be knowledgeable
Good leaders are good readers. Often the quality of a leader’s decision is greatly influenced by their knowledge base surrounding an issue. You can improve the quality of the decisions you make by gaining more knowledge. Always seek to learn, read books, watch TED videos and documentaries and soon, you’ll see the better version of yourself coming out, as the leader in you emerges.
Commit yourself to your dream
It is not enough to have a dream and a plan to back it up. You should always be willing to stay focused and committed to your dreams. When you enter into the leadership circle, a place of movers and shakers, there will always be the consistent temptation to quit and take the easier path. You have to be committed to your dreams. Heroes don’t quit. Finish till the end and it will be worth it.
You are born a winner and unique. Don’t compromise yourself with cheap things or sell yourself short. Expect excellence from everything you do and everything you have in life.