Myth or truth – as a human being are we born to stand up, share, inspire and lead others on their personal path to success? For example mothers have this innate capacity to nurture and protect her young, whilst still carrying them and when they are born. But this does not necessarily mean that the same natural abilities are suffice in leading people. The skills we seek in leading others is gained through experience, in learning from others and in developing ourselves. Is it possible then that some of us have been misguided by the illusion of, “I am doing well in my job therefore I am good enough and want my own team?”
Waking up to the realisation that we are not naturally born with leadership skills is the first step to a brighter, productive and more profitable business. The reason there are hundreds of ‘how to’ be a great leader self-help books is because of the underlying truth which is – we are not all naturally amazing, authentic and credible leaders. But there is hope in the fact that it is achievable to every single person, once we tap into the source of all well-being, ourselves. Have you been curious to know what these books bang on about?
Taking ‘ownership’ in the workplace is just one aspect that might be a starting point in becoming a better version of yourself, if you are an aspiring leader. Being that person who spots the weak points in teams, pause to give it the level of attention needed – whether you deal with it personally or identify the right person to get to the root of the problem, before creating a solution together. Rather than putting it to the fault of others, blaming it on bad time management, lack of X, Y, Z, and walking past the issue hoping someone else will deal with it. Hope is nothing better than dreams, Fernando Flores said “Hope is the raw material of losers”.
Enlisting the help of others is not in our survival skills, it is also another illusion that we must get things done alone as a testament to our own strength. The bold and the courageous do not believe that they can run a business single-handedly, they simply ask for the right type of help needed to support them in reaching specific goals and visions.
It’s almost instinctive when we consider following another human being because they simply inspire us, the person has that know, like and trust factor. A shortlist of the top ten attributes to being a good leader is highlighted here.
1. Leaders pay more attention on developing your portfolio rather than their own.
2. Leaders have great communications skills.
3. Taking ownership & responsibility for problems and then focus on creating solutions.
4. Having self-control and the attitudes that always lifts people up, rather than hold them back.
5. Investing time and being present with individuals.
6. Building relationships with their team.
7. A leader has visions that includes contributing beyond themselves.
8. Leaders acknowledge failure as part of success and use it in a way which helps them continue moving towards their goals, until they achieve the results they want.
9. A person leads with a willingness to pull you towards your own goals and then celebrate your achievements on the side line.
10. A good leaders understands the need for cooperation when it comes to building a successful business.
Napoleon Hill famously said “No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people’.
Far from few are people who lead with experience on how things ‘should’ look like and ‘ought’ to be, which is short-sighted and will never develop more than the average skills in the workplace. It’s so easy to pick up a book, read it on the way to work, listen to podcasts, and connect with others already in the role you want to be in. But to accumulate all this fresh, innovative and exciting knowledge is not enough. The last, most relevant and important step to having a more-than-average lifestyle is to experience what you have learnt. Everyone can acquire the same information but it is in the action that you gets results.
Choosing to be a leader is a decision not to be taken lightly. It is putting yourself out there as a legit driver who has spent time, money, energy, focus and value the importance in learning all about how to use a car, handling it in different situations, how to make it run smoothly and considering the environment. So that when you are finally qualified you can do it safely, respectably, and take yourself to new destinations creating adventures for yourself and maybe you will pick up a few passengers along the way. It is about having a solid foundation of knowledge and then building upon it to create enjoyable experiences, instead of just being the verbally annoying back-seat driver.
Is it time to hone in on your natural ability to survive and develop the skills you need to thrive?