3 Steps You Can Take Today to Become a Better Leader

What do you picture when you think of a leader? What compels you to want to become one, or perhaps, a better one??

Today, I’ll help you define what leadership is, and, in turn, how you can become a better leader by following a few key steps.

1. Start with Yourself?

Ultimately, leadership starts with you. Are you willing to place yourself in the driver’s seat of your career and build the confidence necessary to make decisions using your gut instinct and experience? In order to do this, you have to take control of your impact and define how you wish to approach being a leader.?

It’s often easy to conflate leadership with authority, when, in fact, real leadership has less to do with your title and everything to do with your ability to reach a goal with integrity and good judgment.?

My career has taught me that leadership is not about the ability to make decisions over others, but the ability to take charge and mobilize others to reach an optimal outcome. As is often said, great leaders create other leaders, not followers.?

This also lets us know that great leaders are made, not born; and the good news here is that anyone can improve their skills and become a better leader.?

Read more about the Four Pillars of Effective Leadership

2. Learn to Be Decisive

To make a decision is to empower oneself. When you make a decision, people take notice of your initiative and will seek to engage you in new opportunities.?

Therefore, in order to become a better leader, you must learn how to make decisions like a leader.?

The best leaders are able to navigate environments of uncertainty and complexity to identify the optimal path forward. To do this takes skill and experience, but it also takes courage. Once you’ve thoroughly weighed the situation, can you take the next step of actually making a big decision??

Making an informed or bold decision doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be the right decision. Instead of focusing on perfection, we should focus on learning from our mistakes and reaching out for guidance from those we trust in order to improve our abilities the next time around.?

3. Lead Inclusively?

Great leaders build and rely upon trusted networks of confidants and mentors, and regularly tap into the expertise of their colleagues in order to arrive at the best decisions.??

One myth of leadership, much like the “natural-born leader,” is that leaders operate within a vacuum, relying solely upon their own expertise and judgment to lead effectively. This couldn’t be more far from the truth.?

The ability to seek out feedback, weigh opposing perspectives, and maintain a focus on the greater goal, however, can be a challenging task.?

Much like negotiation techniques, there are tried and true methods to make this process more smooth. If you can remove your ego, make a point to empathize with your colleagues, and take time to reflect before making a big decision, you’ll be on the road to becoming a better leader.?

3 Steps You Can Take Today to Successfully Resolve Conflict

Read more articles in this series.

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As a leadership and negotiation strategist, Elizabeth Suárez works with organizations to develop their professionals into effective leaders and influencers.