5 Tips for Becoming A Great Leader

Great leaders are not born. A leader worth following is created, and the entire process of creating and building begins inside the most dangerous place you will ever go. Your own mind. How can you become a strong leader who inspires others with your vision of what can be, drives other people toward excellence, holds people accountable without being overbearing, and instills a sense of trust? Learning what makes a great leader is your first step.

Here are a few tips to help you grow into the leader you want to be:

1. Learn to control yourself. Every great leader in history has had to become a master of self-discipline and willpower in order to keep their focus on the larger picture. If you do not have a goal or the drive to achieve it, you have no hope of leading others to attain theirs.

• Follow through in everything you do. As challenging as it may seem, you need to be disciplined enough to be where you need to be, when you need to be there, and to show up whether you want to or not. By being strong in your personal resolve and resisting the temptation to give up, you are setting an example for others to follow.
• Consciously choose your emotional response to each situation carefully. There will be time that you will need to practice the art of silencing your inner thoughts when they are not appropriate in order to set a positive example.

2. Communicate your goals clearly, and often. If the people you are responsible for leading do not completely understand the deeper meaning in their work, they will not be able to share your vision or work ethic. Every step of the way, communicate with your team to make sure that you are all on the same wavelength and know what you expect from each other.

• Get your team involved in the planning process and they will help you flesh out the implementation of your ideas. This gives everyone a greater sense of ownership toward the end result.

3. Praise well, and criticize constructively. The way you praise and criticize others can make all the difference in being able to lead your team effectively.

• Be sure to publicly praise the people who do excellent work for you. You will give that person a sense of accomplishment and instill in them the drive to do even better.
• When someone does something wrong, offer constructive criticism, but do it privately. Suggest solutions on how they can improve and take the time to answer any questions. They are much more likely to accept your input more if they know that it is being done to help and not to harm them.

4. Know your people. You cannot really truly lead a group of people unless you understand their hopes, dreams, struggles, pains, and goals. All of the good intentions in the world mean nothing unless you have a true sense of the people you are working with, and what they are working for.

• Talk to your team members and get to know them. Getting to know each other on a slightly more personal level will strengthen the bonds between you. They will want to do better for you because you're more than just a "boss."?
• Be their leader, first, and their friend second. You are their leader and that means that you have to make difficult decisions. These decisions cannot be driven by personal relationships.

5. Make the hard call. There are times when you have to make some unpleasant decisions. Firing, demoting, and holding people accountable for their actions can be very hard at times. As the leader, it is your responsibility to handle these matters.

Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, believe that you can be a great leader. Remember that in order to lead others, you must be disciplined yourself. Your actions will always speak louder than anything you can say. In order to gain the respect of others, strive to lead by example in every area of your life. Adding these tips to your arsenal will help you along your way to becoming a great leader!

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