How to Be a Leader

The leader does not have to be formally elected or be the chief executive officer. Whether in daily life, in school or at work, a leader is always the one who sets an example, leads and commands. It is not the flashy title, 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 on developing your skills, balancing power with compassion, and showing that you’re worthy of the team’s trust.

Table of Contents

Developing leadership qualities

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Be confident , even if you don’t know everything. Maintain composure, look people in the eye, and use gestures when speaking to emphasize important points. Show confidence and truly believe that you are capable of leading the team forward. Besides, you also need to be firm enough to admit when you don’t know something without feeling insecure. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Imagine a scene where you say “I don’t know,” as you say it, looking down at the ground, wiggling your limbs. Now imagine yourself saying, “I don’t have the answer yet, but I’ll find out and respond later,” but this time you stand up straight and look the other person in the eye.
Even if you don’t know something, you don’t make a bad leader. In contrast, an ineffective leader will feel insecure and refuse to admit they are wrong.
Don’t forget that confidence and arrogance are only a thin line apart. Admit that you can’t know everything and don’t act like you’re superior to everyone.

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Learn as much as you can about your field. Take every opportunity to gain knowledge, whether you’re a sales leader or the president of a school club. Knowing what you’re talking about will help you build confidence and earn the team’s trust. Granted, you can’t know everything, but people will doubt your ability if they ask any question you say you don’t know. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Worse yet, if you don’t know something but pretend to know and turn out to be wrong, your team will no longer trust you.
For example, if you plan to raise money for a school charity, 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 professional development events, and stay up to date on techniques and software. new relevant.

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Find an experienced advisor . Growth is limitless, even when you are at the top. Find someone with strong leadership skills that you admire. You can also chat with the person over coffee or lunch sessions, or ask if they’d be willing to be your long-term mentor. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Find an idol who has overcome challenges and achieved goals like yours. For example, if you’re a female student in high school or college, you might attend public speaking events with female leadership speakers.
It may be intimidating to ask someone to be your mentor, but try to relax. Simply reach out to someone who has achieved the goals you’ve set for yourself, admire their accomplishments, and ask for advice. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Besides seizing opportunities to learn from those with more experience, you should also mentor the people you’re leading. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Learn how to resolve conflicts . If there is a heated conflict between team members, you need to speak up to keep the people involved. Give everyone time to calm down, if necessary. Identify the cause of the conflict and take steps to resolve it. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Try to understand each person’s point of view and stay objective. If there’s a way to find a scenario that pleases both parties, do your best to come up with a compromise solution.
Let’s say you’re running a factory, and something goes wrong – a design flaw that causes an order to be cancelled. A salesman, angry at the loss of his commission, raised his voice at the designer who made a mistake. Tell both parties to calm down, emphasize that angry behavior is not acceptable, and reassure both of them that the new check-in system will prevent similar problems in the future.
Remember that in a professional setting, you may be able to assign human resources managers to handle escalating conflicts between employees.

Effective leadership

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Firm, but empathetic. As a leader, you need to enforce clear rules and boundaries. On the other hand, you can be turned against by the whole team if you don’t keep a balance between power and compassion. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

When enforcing a rule, explain to the team why it is important. Instead of shouting “Don’t waste paper,” say, “Please don’t print anything unless absolutely necessary. Material prices are increasing and affecting the company a lot.”

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Be decisive , don’t hesitate. Defend your decisions, but don’t be arbitrary. Gather information, listen to a wide range of opinions, and take the time to discuss. Once the matter has been discussed, make a definitive decision. ^{[8] X Harvard Business Review Trusted Source Go to Source}

Let’s say your group of friends is discussing what to do tonight. People hesitate, hesitate and oppose each other’s opinions. Then one person stepped forward and said, “Guys, now we’re going to do this ‘thing’”. It is the person who rises to the top, recognizes the situation that requires leadership, 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, “Would a hasty decision hurt anyone? Do you need to make a decision now or is there still time to discuss it with everyone?”
Be flexible if necessary and be ready to redirect when new information becomes available.

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Assign tasks and clearly explain the roles of members. The leader will not control people every little bit or do it all. When assigning tasks to team members, articulate your expectations and provide necessary instructions. You will have more confidence in your team members to complete tasks if you create the conditions for them to succeed. ^{[9] X Research Source}

An explicit request would be something like “Complete specifications for at least 5 construction projects, by the end of the week.” A vague expectation would be “Do some spec profiling”.
When you need to train someone, model it yourself, and explain the steps as you do it. If possible, you should observe as they begin to work, and gently correct them if they make mistakes.

Win the trust of the team

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Treat team members with respect. Show people your sincere sympathy; They will realize if you really care about them or not. Listen when people express their opinions, praise them when they are active, and never use inappropriate language. Remember that you are the one who sets the tone of the team, so establish the type of behavior you want the team to exhibit. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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 argument and use the information they provide to refine your decision. If their comments are inappropriate, you should also show that you respect their opinion, but you are going in a different direction.

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Keep promise. If you break your promise, you will lose everyone’s respect. You may be charismatic and knowledgeable, but if you speak without keeping your word, it will most likely be overthrown. ^{[11] X Research Source}

In order to deliver on your promises, you must know what can and cannot be done. Be realistic when you make a promise, and make sure it’s within your reach.
For example, don’t promise a “huge” pay raise to an employee, unless you’re 100% sure the budget allows it. If you run a club on campus, don’t promise to raise additional funding until you’ve talked to the principal or school administration.

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Ask for feedback from those under you. When you are in a leadership position, people may be afraid of you and not dare to actively offer constructive criticism. Instead of waiting for everyone to speak up, ask your team specific questions about what you need to do to perform better. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Don’t ask questions with a “yes” or “no” answer. Instead, ask specific questions like “What do you think I can do to be a better leader” or “Is there a way I can communicate more clearly?”

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In charge of. Defend your decisions and take responsibility for the possible consequences. If something goes wrong, you will have to take responsibility and don’t blame others to cover up your mistakes. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Imagine yourself as a captain who holds the fate of a ship in his hands, and you are responsible for getting everyone on the right track.
When things don’t go as planned, a good leader must be one who perseveres. Instead of burying your head in the sand, see failure as an opportunity to learn.

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Dress appropriately for your role. Your appearance can build trust, but remember there’s a difference between dressing to impress and dressing to influence. Impressive dressing, i.e. overdressing, can create distance between you and the people you lead. ^{[14] X Research Source}

For example, if you run a casual restaurant, a suit and tie is inappropriate; it can cause you to be turned away by customers and employees.
If you’re the student body president of your high school class, a neat button-down shirt you wear to meetings will be more sympathetic than ripped jeans and a wrinkled shirt.

Advice

Help the team achieve collective goals as well as individual goals. Remember, motivating and enabling individuals to succeed is part of the goal of taking the team to the next level.
Don’t be a manager, be a leader.
Always do what you have advised others to do. Nothing can make a leader lose the trust of people more than hypocrisy. Once you have set the rules, you need to follow them. You must be an example for others to follow.
Charisma is also helpful, but trust is always more important than attractiveness. Genuine kindness will get you far more than fake charm.

Warning

As a leader, you’re in the limelight, which means your every move is scrutinized. 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 fancy people and don’t treat them favorably.

Steps

Developing leadership qualities

Effective leadership

Win the trust of the team

Advice

Warning

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