15 Tips for Developing Leadership Skills

The concept of “leader” is used in business, politics, sports, music to designate an authoritative, influential person in a group who leads others. Such a person has certain abilities that help control others. Many people would like to learn the psychology of leadership in order to become key figures in society. Becoming a leader, a person receives more opportunities and prospects, he has access to resources and bonuses that are not available to ordinary people.

Are leadership qualities innate or acquired? Scientists have been arguing about this topic since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The first, most famous theory of leadership was the theory that a person is born a leader. Over time, researchers have become convinced that leadership qualities can be shaped and developed.

How to identify your leadership qualities

Below are ten signs of a leader. Rate yourself based on these characteristics. Suddenly you've always been a leader without realizing it! Bend your finger every time the description matches your character.

1) Open-minded: you are open-minded and know how to listen to other people's opinions.

2) Advisor: others often ask for help and your point of view is valuable to them.

3) Responsible: you know how to keep your word, so people trust you.

4) Decent: friends easily tell you their secrets, without fear that you will reveal them.

5) Hardworking: you show by example that you need to work tirelessly.

6) Purposeful: you prefer to act rather than promise.

7) Optimist: you know how to instill confidence in others and motivate them to action.

Respectful: You accept people for who they are. You know how to find the good sides in others and appreciate them.

9) Caring: You care not only about your own well-being, but also about helping others succeed.

10) Enthusiast: You behave confidently and are the first to propose a solution to a problem.

If at least eight points apply to you, then you can consider yourself a born leader. If it's less, don't worry. Leadership skills can be developed.

Daenerys Targaryan from Game of Thrones is an example of a strong leader who aspires to a managerial role. Jon Snow has leadership qualities, but does not want to notice them. But those around him, on the contrary, see him as a leader

How to stop being shy

Shyness is one of the main negative qualities that prevents one from becoming a leader and preventing one from being realized in life.

In order not to be embarrassed, it is recommended to eradicate habits that interfere with a normal life. Imagine that all your shyness is a program that can easily be rewritten.

Talk to strangers, honing your communication skills on them. It's important to warm up before important conversations. Practice in front of a mirror or on others if you have an important conversation about which you are very worried.

What are leadership qualities

The qualities of a leader are a set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and abilities from different spheres of life that allow a person to gather other people around him, lead them, create his own team and effectively manage it. It is impossible to unambiguously name any specific quality that immediately makes a person a leader; leadership qualities are precisely the combination of a large number of different personal, psychological and organizational aspects that coexist simultaneously.

At the same time, it is also not worth expanding the qualities of a leader too much, because, in fact, almost any quality of a person can in one way or another be subsumed under the leadership quality. Therefore, I decided to highlight the main qualities of a leader, which are worth focusing on if you strive to become a leader. They are briefly presented in the following diagram:

As you can see, all a person’s leadership qualities can be divided into 3 areas, each of which contains its own list of qualities:

Personal (personal) qualities of a leader.
Managerial and organizational qualities of a leader.
Psychological and social qualities of a leader.

Now let's look at all these areas and the leadership qualities that relate to them, in order and in more detail.

Help others grow

A leader's effectiveness is determined by the number of people who succeed with their help. Coach Sidney Finkelstein, in her book Superbosses, recommends that managers look for hidden talents in their subordinates and try to develop them.

There are several advantages to this approach. On the one hand, by developing the talents of your team, you make the overall product more successful - the business runs faster and more efficiently. This is a short term positive effect.

But if there are long-term consequences. By helping people develop, you build your reputation as a caring and helpful leader. Gradually you will have many followers, people who are grateful to you for your help. Subordinates who sincerely respect you.

This means that you can manage almost any project - because you will have a team of loyal professionals whose strengths and weaknesses you know thoroughly. And this is already more of an advantage over other managers and businessmen.

A leader must be charismatic

They talk a lot about charisma, but not everyone manages to explain what this mythical attractive force is that attracts some people to others, even if they are not at all charming and attractive, but “evil geniuses”? Charismatics become captives of their charms and begin to dominate the minds and feelings of those they captivate. They are full of energy, and people in their company begin to experience an emotional uplift.

Most modern people lack energy, they quickly get tired and irritated. They need a source of energy and find it in playing sports or watching sports programs and various TV shows, in caffeine, alcohol, etc. People are also charged with energy from leaders who are able to ignite them, inspire them and captivate them with their idea. A leader needs admirers, admirers whom he will lead.

David Eisenhower, the 34th American president, said that “leadership is the art of getting people to do what you want because they want to do it.”

Where does the leader himself get his energy from?

How to increase self-esteem

To believe in yourself, you must have high enough self-esteem. This will allow you to become more self-confident throughout life, quickly recover from failures, and endure life’s difficulties.

To increase self-esteem, it is recommended to correctly use self-hypnosis formulas and develop in those directions where a person has already achieved certain results.

Learn to accept compliments without forgetting that you deserve them. Be tolerant of yourself, do not criticize for every mistake.

Be sincerely convinced of your own worth

What needs to be done to develop leadership qualities

What qualities should a leader have in order to lead others?
A leader is someone who can identify and keep in mind the ultimate goal, retains the ability to lead a group towards it even under the most unfavorable conditions, and infects others with his faith, energy and passion to achieve it.

Whether a person is born this way or whether the necessary leadership qualities develop throughout life is a question open to debate. But their formation with focused work and perseverance is possible. This is constant work, the work on oneself of a person who is ready to be responsible for others.

Vision of the goal

Define your goal, know clearly where to go and what you want to get at the end of the journey. Be able to build a strategy to achieve your desired goal. To develop this trait in yourself, you need to study the biographies of historical leaders and successful people of our time, get acquainted with classical literature on business building strategy, and observe those who have clearly expressed these qualities.

Plan your every day, analyze in the evening the effectiveness and correctness of your actions. Gradually lengthen the planning period.

Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately

Don't be afraid to make difficult and responsible decisions. To learn how to make decisions, start where the mistake will not be critical and will not violate your confidence in your abilities. Even if it is wrong, this is an excellent reason to learn a lesson about how not to do it. Learn to defend your point of view while being confident that your decisions are right.

Ability to take risks

Don’t be afraid to act in undefined situations; be prepared for the fact that a good result may be unattainable. Be adventurous and ready to take risks. To correctly evaluate a decision, learn to weigh the situation, clearly identifying the pros and cons of all possible scenarios on a five-point scale.

Then you should evaluate your options, recognizing that all decisions are imperfect and you can lose. But every mistake is always an opportunity to learn something new.

Ability to inspire team members

A leader is able to create a team with which it is much easier to achieve goals. It unites people to achieve it and is able to motivate them to work at a level that was previously unattainable for them.

To learn this quality, learn to manipulate people, study the motives that move them. To do this, learn to listen to a person. Listening and hearing are two different things. When talking, you need to fully concentrate on the interlocutor, let him understand that you are listening to him: with gestures, a smile, nods. If necessary, write it down. Learn to initiate discussions among team members, critically evaluate all points of view and extract common sense from them

Such attention to everyone will unite the team

Active work on yourself

Be honest with yourself and others in assessing the negative and positive aspects of yourself, be prepared to change if necessary, because there is no limit to perfection.

Learn consistency, be able to restrain fits of rage and outbursts of hysteria - by doing this, set an example for your team members. Be prepared for criticism. To do this, don’t be afraid to ask what you can improve in your leadership style, keep a diary - it helps you critically evaluate your actions. Provide feedback to team members to help correct behavior.

Don't try to please everyone

Remember that there are no ideas that suit everyone. Don't try to please. Developing leadership skills is about not being afraid of constructive criticism and being afraid of unfair praise - it slows down progress. You should learn to find the positive sides of events.

Improve your health

Working on yourself is hard work. Excellent physical fitness and health are also leadership qualities. To stand out in the crowd:

dedicate at least an hour a day to exercise and sports. Daily physical activity should become a necessity;
get enough sleep - a person who sleeps four hours a day loses clarity of thinking and speed of reaction. Following a daily routine with mandatory good sleep will help you maintain an attractive appearance;
eat regularly - haggard appearance, bags under the eyes do not decorate the leader;
consult a nutritionist and choose the right diet for you. This will ensure high performance;
a mandatory day off, at least once a week should become the norm.

Violation of the diet and diet will immediately affect your appearance and health. Constant fatigue syndrome is a daily companion for violators of these rules.

Examples of developmental exercises

Who am I?

Write down 10 truthful answers, starting each with the pronoun “I”.

Analyze the answers for compliance with leadership qualities, and determine what prevents you from being (or becoming) a leader. If you have described yourself, for example, as a quiet person, think about how to fix it and work in this direction.

Dialogue with the inner critic

If you are too self-critical and think that nothing will work out for you, learn to object to the “inner voice”. Write down everything you doubt. Re-read what you wrote down and try to make a decision without thinking that it might be wrong.

Success Diary.

At the end of the day, celebrate your successes. You should write down at least 3 positive things, even if the day is not good. Exercise develops positive thinking and provides additional motivation.

Opinions of others

Ask friends and family to list your strengths and weaknesses. Let them answer honestly why they respect you, and what character traits or habits of yours irritate them. Record this interview. Read the notes calmly, because the description was given by your close people who love you, no matter what. Exercise helps get rid of internal fears, discomfort, and motivates you to start working on yourself.

"Learning from others"

Write the names of 3 famous people with whom you personally know. This could be a manager, an athlete or a scientist.

Give each a rating (for example, on a 5-point system).

Give each person a description as a leader.

From their inherent qualities, select 3 that you would like to develop in yourself.

Development of motivation

Think about your best achievement in school, sports or other activity. What did you do better than others that influenced your victory?

Try to clearly answer how you managed to become a winner.

Imagine explaining this to other people so they can improve their results.

This exercise can be performed several times for different achievements.

Learn to delegate responsibilities

A leader is not the one who takes on all the work, but the one who knows how to competently distribute responsibilities among subordinates. That is, you need to understand who can do what, who can be trusted with what, and so on. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure high-quality and timely control.

You need to develop this ability in yourself starting from the everyday level. For example, when planning housework, don't do everything yourself. Divide tasks among family members. When organizing an event (as in the previous example with a alumni meeting), shift some of the responsibility to those who most enthusiastically welcomed your idea.

Don't be afraid to change

A project is a living organism: different people, situations, mistakes. Everything can go differently at any moment than you planned. Therefore, be flexible to find a way out of any situation. Don't be afraid to take risky decisions and make sharp turns.

What will you get?

Openness and flexible thinking.

Tips and tricks for future leaders

Very often, a future leader does not know where to begin his development. This gives rise to the fear that nothing will work out, and that in general it was a bad idea.

We suggest starting your leadership journey by following these basic recommendations:

Set SMART goals.
Many people fail because they set vague goals and don’t know exactly what they want to achieve. Set yourself an exact goal. Consider the timing and methods of its implementation. Mentally imagine the result and write it down on paper.
Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
Fear of the unknown often prevents you from taking the first step. Learn to let go of fear. Let's say you are afraid of speaking in front of an audience. Set a goal for yourself to get rid of this phobia. Determine what is difficult for you in this situation and make a plan for implementing the action. For example, give a short presentation in front of colleagues. An important attribute of a leader is the ability to overcome one’s fears. Success can only be achieved through trial and error, overcoming uncertainty, fear of change and failure.
Engage in self-development.
Do you want to become an unrivaled leader? Start attending leadership development courses, read blogs, newsletters of successful people and learn from their experiences. Learn a foreign language and train your memory. Expand your horizons.
Speak publicly more often.
Gaining trust and impressing others with the right, well-spoken language is an important leadership skill. To develop these qualities, you can attend public speaking courses.

You can, of course, not take any courses and study on your own, but by learning from the experts in your field, you can achieve success faster. Remember, nothing is impossible. The main thing is your desire and perseverance.

5 best books for leadership development:

"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell
. The author questions the phrase “Leaders are born, not made.” In each chapter, the author reveals the essence of the laws of leadership and, using the example of others, shows how you can apply them in your life.
"Turn Your Ship Around" by David Marquet.
The book was written by a nuclear submarine captain. In it, he talks about his experience of changing the mechanism of interaction between crew members and overcoming any obstacles to the cherished goal.
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey
. An international bestseller for people seeking to develop their potential. The author says that every person can overcome any obstacles by improving themselves and becoming the best version of themselves.
"On the limit.
A week without self-pity” Eric Bertrand. The author’s main idea is to live just 7 days at the limit of your capabilities. In the book, he talks about the intensive program you need to follow to become the best version of yourself. After completing the intensive course, many obstacles will seem like nothing to you.
“Leader’s Charisma”, Radislav Gandapas.
A well-known leadership specialist in Russia tells in his book how you can develop the ability to influence people, motivate, inspire and captivate with a common goal.

3 best motivational films for leaders:

"Wall Street". The film tells the story of a young broker and his stunning ups and downs. He is ready to do anything to achieve success in his career. The film will be useful for those who are unsure of themselves and are afraid of making a mistake. Remember, mistakes build character.
"Harvard Bum."
The film is based on real events. The heroine, who grew up in a family of drug addicts, is trying to get out from the very bottom of her life and she succeeds. She finds the strength to get up and move forward. If you feel like nothing is working out and you're on the verge of despair, watch this movie. Perhaps after watching, you will change your point of view and begin to act.
"The Pursuit of Happyness".
The main character's life is going downhill. The wife left, leaving her little son, and was evicted from the apartment. He gets his dream job - in a trading company. True, I'm still an intern. Constant malnutrition, lack of sleep, spending the night in the toilet and free hostels. He endured everything. He built a business and became a successful millionaire. This film will be useful for those who have lost faith in victory when faced with insurmountable obstacles.

The heroes of these films did not give up. They fought for their destiny, despite hunger, fatigue and failure. There is a lot to learn from them. At different times in your life, when it seems like everything is lost and you can’t achieve anything, watch these films. They will help you cope with despondency and charge you with motivation.

From the experience of psychologists

People who strive to become a leader in a team often attend psychological training. The main objective of such classes is to explain to future leaders the understanding of leadership, which consists of managing a group of people and organizing them to achieve a set goal.

Psychologists conduct various experiments in their classes. At one of them, a training participant - a future leader - was asked to write down the opinion of a loved one about his strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of a week, he compiled a list of people with whom he had close relationships. It took him the next week to gather his strength and contact the first person on this list, and then only on the recommendation of the course leader. It was a cousin.

Once the recording was made, all training participants listened to it. When the psychologist asked the cadet to talk about the conversation he heard, he could only convey the general meaning of what was said. Then the training director played the recording again. And only after listening to it again, the participant, without excitement or emotion, was able to fully understand the essence of the statements.

According to the psychologist, for a person who wants to become a team leader, this is a big step forward. He became much more confident, felt his importance, and was able to understand that he could eliminate the barrier of not accepting leadership.

Develop a relationship with your reflection in the mirror

Don't be afraid to undress in front of the mirror and study yourself patiently. This may seem stupid, but you need to be patient. Step by step you will learn to look at yourself without clothes. Ask the mirror: “Do you have the right to judge other people?” When you learn not to hide from your own negative character traits, you will begin to work with them. Over time, an understanding of your own dignity and values will come.

Once you learn to accept yourself as you really are, you will be able to accept people with all their strengths and weaknesses. It is a conscious decision by the leader to study and correct.

Take risks every day

If you want to become a leader in a team, take on everything you haven’t tried in this life:

look for a new, interesting job;
dance;
go ice skating, skiing;
go to the pool;
engage in other exciting activities: sports, creativity, handicrafts.

Public speaking is of particular importance for the development of leadership qualities in any team. Each of them will help reveal a certain side of you - experience previously unfamiliar emotions, teach you how to express yourself competently, clearly express your thoughts, and discover your talent as a speaker. It is recommended that future leaders practice public speaking regularly. But it is advisable to avoid participating in competitions where you will have to compare yourself with others. Such activities are associated with the risk of injury. And then the achieved results of the future leader will not be of paramount importance.

Make decisions, be active

A leader in a team is an active person, capable of making decisions and taking responsibility for the team, which should constantly increase. If you want to take on a leadership position or participate in a competitive hiring process, don't hesitate. You need to call the administration, take the forms of the necessary documents, fill out and submit them. Offer yourself as an applicant for the vacancy. This is exactly how a leader behaves.

Oddly enough, many people want to be leaders in a team. They have every opportunity to make a career and become a leader. Due to laziness, fear, shyness, uncertainty, and indifference, they do not offer their services. There is no place for such character traits for a future leader.

Learn to admit your own mistakes, take responsibility for the decisions you make

An important quality of a leader in a team is to take responsibility. To check whether this message works for you, it is recommended to take a pen, a piece of paper and write about 10 similar statements. For example:

I am a leader!
I am responsible for completing the plan on time.
I am responsible for the decision made, etc.

A simple but necessary exercise. It shows that in the eyes of others, the leader is not always right. Taking responsibility for a team is not an easy task. In case of failures or mistakes made, it is the leader who will have to answer. If people recognized you as a leader in the team, they made an advance for your future achievements. You will have to work it out. If you cannot take responsibility for the fate of your subordinates, you will never be a leader.

Learn to say no

This is important for a leader. Even a very good person cannot always agree and run at the first call. After all, he has his own plans, at work and at home the day can be scheduled minute by minute, at certain moments he is not competent, he is not satisfied with the price of the issue, in the end - he simply does not want to. No matter how difficult it is to refuse your friend, friend, relative, tell him “no” if for a number of reasons you cannot fulfill his request. Do this exercise until you feel that you are able to refuse and insist on your own.

A future leader must be able to defend his rights. The leader's goal is to force the subordinate to complete the assigned task on time, and no excuses are accepted, except for force majeure circumstances.

The advantage of this exercise is that by being able to put your partner in an impossible position, you, as a leader, have achieved your goal. It develops initial leadership qualities.

Make a list of the alternatives available to you, even if they don't seem very attractive to you.

With this exercise, you, as a team leader, will learn to make the right choices. To do this, you need to competently compile a list of alternatives for specific situations relating to business or personal communication. If it is difficult to do this yourself, do not be afraid to ask a more competent person for help. Your job is to consider every available opportunity. At the same time, you should not start speaking with words like: “Yes, but...”.

Example. You want to get a promotion, but there are some obstacles. You need to write a list indicating the obstacles that stand in your way. Even if it annoys you, you need to overcome this barrier.

Give yourself at least one pleasure every day

Each of us, including the leader, has a lot of desires that bring pleasure. For some it is a pleasant pastime with family and friends, for others it is the desire to acquire material goods, for others it is playing sports. You need to make a list of hobbies and do one of them every day. Do not allow someone to disrupt your plans or manipulate you. This exercise will help you observe your own subconscious, which is very instructive. If, nevertheless, some reasons prevented the implementation of the plan, this day is not taken into account. Only when you can have fun at least 5 times a week indicates that your direction is correct.

Make a list of what is stopping you from achieving your goals and burn it.

If you have set a goal, but see that for some reason you cannot achieve it, make a list and indicate them in it. Leave this task to your inner critic. Don't stop him from speaking out loud. Then confidently repeat your goal. For example, you want to become a leader in a team and fill a vacancy as a group leader. In the list you indicate the reasons why, in your opinion, this will not work for you:

I have no experience in leadership work.
I am not a leader by nature.
I am afraid that I lack the skills and necessary knowledge.
Work will take up the whole day and there will be no time left for family.
There are more worthy candidates.

The list must be complete, indicating all significant arguments. As soon as they run out, the list must be burned. On the path to leadership, no reasons justify themselves.

Be confident and assertive

Not everyone around you will like the leader's point of view. This should not worry you; you need to remain true to your own principles to the end. When a leader gives in, refuses them, people see it even in his posture. A person will not develop leadership skills by walking slouched and with his head down. Confidence must always be present. The back is straight, the shoulders are straight, the speech is literate and clear. Never complain, blame anyone, humiliate or reproach people.

The timbre of a voice and the depth of its sound say a lot about a person. Confidence should be present in everything - gait, posture, voice, manner of speaking and even in clothes. It’s immediately obvious that the leader is coming!

These exercises are not a panacea, but they will help you become a team leader. Even by doing them, you show determination, character, perseverance, and faith in victory.

How to develop leadership qualities in a teenager

Adolescence is one of the turning points in personality formation. It is at this moment that timidity, shyness and isolation may appear, which are not at all conducive to achieving success. To help a child become a leader, parents need to adhere to these recommendations from psychologists.

Treat your teen with respect. Parents should talk to him as equals, ask for his opinion, and ask him for advice. A teenager should feel that something and someone in life depends on him, that he can influence something.
Get him interested in something. Finding a hobby is a great way to help develop leadership skills. For girls - dancing, for boys - sports. Any hobby stimulates you to be better than others.
Involve your teenager in communication. If you are discussing something with your family, be sure to involve him in the discussion. If guests come home, do not let your teenager hole up in his room.
Give constructive criticism. Many parents sin by criticizing the character and personal qualities of their children. It is correct to criticize actions and actions (but not the personality). You should also forget about the habit of comparing your child with others. This will not add excitement and “sports anger”, but may cause the development of an inferiority complex.
Give a certain degree of freedom. Approaching adolescence, you need to gradually wean your child from the fact that you decide and do everything for him. Let him manage his life himself (within reasonable limits). Start with little things like clothing style, hobbies, and so on.
Help develop the right attitude towards defeat. Given teenage maximalism, any failure can be perceived as the end of the world. Your task is to explain to the child that this is an invaluable experience. Analyze the situation together with him in order to draw the right conclusions.

Strive for productivity and results-driven work

Develop leadership skills through the habit of working for results. To develop such a habit, Maxim Dorofeev in his book “Jedi Techniques” suggests perceiving any task from the point of view of two approaches - “did” and “did.”

For example, your wife instructed you to buy something at the store and bring it home in the evening.

You go to the store in the evening. Choose a retail outlet in front of the house. When you ask for the desired product, it turns out that it is out of stock. You go to several more stores, but it’s too late - they are either already closed, or they have also run out of goods. You go home without the groceries you need. This is the "did" approach.
When your wife asks you to buy groceries, you ask why she needs them. Having found out that she plans to make dinner out of them, you are interested in what alternative will suit her if the necessary products are not on sale. Then go to the store near work so you can buy the groceries you need before the last minute. As a result, you arrive home with delicious products and get a satisfied wife. This is the "did it" approach.

To be productive and work for results, you need to be proactive. Try to train yourself to think ahead - always ask yourself, “what if?” Gradually, you will learn to anticipate problems and be able to become as effective as possible in solving any problem.

TOP 11 best books for leaders

Reading is a way to spend time pleasantly and usefully. Below is a list of books you need to read to develop your leadership qualities.

Title Description “Emotional leadership. The Art of Managing People Using Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman The author skillfully described how you can manage other people through compassion and empathy. "The Leader Without a Title" by Robin Sharma Canadian author and leadership coach has released a series of books. This work is the result of 15 years of experience in large companies. Throughout the collection he conveys the idea that in order to become a great leader one must first become a great person. Suitable for both new recruits and experienced businessmen. “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, John Maxwell A famous American expert, author of a large number of works with practical advice and valuable knowledge in the field of leadership. He collected fundamental laws that help to become a leader. “How to Become a Leader”, Warren Bennis Another guru and coach in the leadership niche. He writes that the lack of competent leaders is the scourge of our time. Any manager who strives for new knowledge and personal development can become a leader. "Lessons from Great Leaders" by Peter Sims, Bill George The book is based on research that proves that a leader must be an experienced, mature person. Suitable for beginners. “Leader's Workshop”, Antonio Meneghetti A practical guide for leaders striving for big goals, who want to develop new young successful businessmen who find profit where there seems to be none. “Reaching the maximum. 12 principles”, Brian Tracy The author has collected effective methods for business development, which he tested himself. The book charges you with energy and desire to grow and increase your achievements. “Good to Great” by Jim Collins According to Forbes magazine, Collins's work has become one of the best business projects of the last 20 years. It contains practical methods from leading companies. It will be useful to anyone who wants to become a successful leader. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey Based on the author's observations of successful famous people. In it he forms his own commandments and says that under any circumstances it is necessary to be true to one’s principles and ideas. In 2011, the American magazine The Times recognized the book as one of the most influential modern self-development manuals. “Influence and Power”, Nikolay Mrochkovsky, Andrey Parabellum, Alexander Belanovsky A practical guide to creating an effective team, managing, influencing employees. “Charisma of a Leader”, Radislav Gandapas A popular Russian trainer and businessman not only manages to conduct trainings, perform and record video lessons, but also wrote a series of books and made films about how to become a leader

In this work, he describes an important quality - charisma, and tells how to influence people with its help.

In addition to business literature, classics are a must-read. It promotes the development of literate speech and expands vocabulary.

Don't neglect theory!

“We don’t need any theoretical calculations. Less theory, more practical advice,” this can often be heard during corporate trainings and psychological seminars, in which highly qualified practitioners and “serious” businessmen participate. They often speak with great contempt of theory as “empty verbiage, divorced from real life,” as opposed to living and effective practice.

They should remember the words of Mao Zedong, one of the world's greatest leaders:

“People who use practical work experience need to constantly engage in theoretical studies and carefully work on books. Only then will they be able to systematize the results of their practice and generalize them. They will not accept their limited experience as the universal truth and will be able to avoid mistakes.”

One person's experience is always limited, no matter how grandiose it may be. The theory generalizes the practical experience of hundreds and thousands of people. Therefore, it is not without reason that they say that there is nothing more practical than a good theory. Without a theoretical foundation, you will only be able to mindlessly copy the words and actions of individual practitioners. Even if they were the brightest and most outstanding leaders in history. But they acted in their own time, in their own situation, and they were different people - not you - with their own character and temperament. There is no need to blindly copy their experience. This will do nothing in terms of personal self-improvement. Any copy will always be just a pale shadow of the original. Mastering the methods of theoretical analysis and synthesis will allow you to creatively adopt and apply the experience of others - in accordance with the specific tasks that face you.

Knowledge of theory provides something that goes beyond simple skill and mechanical reproduction of proven practical skills. Theory gives birth to something approaching inspiration, creative intuition, giving all your activities completeness, bordering on art. And leadership is an art.

Article information

This article was co-authored by. Maureen Taylor is the CEO and founder of SNP Communications, a corporate communications company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Helping leaders, business founders, and innovators in all industries improve communication and feedback for over 25 years.

Categories: Personal Development

In other languages:

English: Improve Leadership Quality, Español: mejorar la calidad del liderazgo, Italiano: Migliorare la Qualità della Leadership, Português: Melhorar a Qualidade da Liderança, العربية: تحسين مهاراتك القيادية , ไทย: พัฒนาคุณสมบัติความเป็นผู้นำ, Français: améliorer les qualités de leadeurship, Nederlands: Leiderschapskwaliteiten verbeteren, 日本語: 指導力を改善する, हिन्दी: अपनी लीडरशिप क्व ालिटी में सुधार लाएं, 中文: 提高领导力, Bahasa Indonesia: Meningkatkan Kualitas Kepemimpinan, Tiếng Việt: Cải thiện ph ẩm chất lãnh đạo

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Decide what kind of leader you are.

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In a group, the leader is a person who has authority among most of its members. In a large community, for example, in a student group or production team, there are always several leaders. Analyze what kind of leader you can be:

1) formal and informal. This is a familiar situation to everyone - the formal leader is the official head of the company, but the informal one sets the tone;

2) a leader - an inspirer who generates ideas and organizes a group around it, or a leading performer who is able to complete the task best;

3) business - the organizer and inspirer of the production process, who knows how to correctly distribute work tasks;

4) emotional – the heart of the group, evoking sympathy and trust;

5) situational - manifesting itself at a critical moment and taking leadership to solve a specific problem;

6) a universal leader who combines all these qualities.

Try to become one of these leaders, use your innate characteristics. Decide what you do best - organize work, generate ideas, or masterfully conduct business meetings. Achieve perfection in this and climb one more step up on the path to your goal.

Leadership qualities, such as the ability to motivate people, allow group members to reveal their potential and push them to do more than they could before. His energy allows you to unlock the hidden resources of others - the personal properties of a person, the hidden capabilities of a group or company. A leader is a beacon that marks the path for others and is followed voluntarily.

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Focus on your strengths

Another tip from Tony Robbins. In many self-development books, coaches suggest analyzing your competencies and qualities, and then focusing on correcting mistakes and developing weaknesses. This, Robinson is sure, is a mistake - it will create an average person without any special advantages.

It is much more effective, the coach says, to develop strong qualities. Since these qualities were perfectly trained without much effort on your part, literally subconsciously, it means that you can improve them many times over. Especially if you focus on training them.

The weaknesses will remain at the same level as they were - no big deal. To level them out, you can delegate tasks and hire assistants who are strong in them. This is the principle of entrepreneurship, and therefore leadership, to create opportunities and solve problems through a diverse, successful team.

Psychological and social qualities of a leader

And finally, the last group of leadership qualities, which consists in the leader’s ability to build relationships within the team, within his team, in the social function that he takes on. Let's consider these qualities of a leader.

1. Communication skills. A leader must be able to communicate. And not just communicate, but find a common language with people of different views, different ages, different social groups, different genders, different characters, etc.

This is a very important quality of a leader, which helps him build and maintain his team.

2. Justice. The most important social role of a leader is that he must be fair and provide fair decisions to his team members. People need to know that they can always turn to a leader for advice and help, and get it. A leader for a team is a fair judge who objectively and impartially resolves all controversial situations.

3. Upholding the interests of the team. A modern leader-manager must care not only about his own interests, but also about the interests of his team, and be able to defend them before some external authorities, in the presence of external danger or threat.

4. Creating conditions for self-realization of followers. And finally, the social qualities of a leader should include providing opportunities for self-realization to his followers, his team, and perhaps even “growing” new leaders from its members

This is a very important leadership quality that will always be valued and respected by his followers and successors.

These are the qualities of a modern, good leader. Develop these qualities in yourself - and you, too, will join those who are able to lead. In other posts on Financial Genius, I will go into more detail on how to develop your leadership skills, so join our regular readers and stay tuned.

Do not forget that leaders are not necessarily born (although this is possible), leaders are made, and this is quite real, the main thing is to set a goal for yourself and strive to achieve it

Thank you for your attention and see you again!

How to become a leader as an adult

If leadership abilities are present, nothing hinders their development. If you have high intelligence and a need for power, you need to share an idea that inspires you, attract allies and helpers, attract people with you, and rely on those around you.

You need to speak in front of the public, monitor your image, create “rules of the game” that will guide the leader’s followers.

The movement towards the goal must be planned and kept calm. In addition, the leader is required to be able to take responsibility not only for his words, actions and decisions, but also for the results achieved by the team.

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Qualities a leader needs

Courage is bold decisions and actions on the way out of failures and difficulties. Controlling yourself in the face of fear, making difficult decisions, and taking actions when there is no guarantee that success will be on your side are qualities of a good leader.
Sincerity. To earn trust, you first need to be honest with yourself. Only then can we say that we are open to other people around us.
Realism. Accept the world as it really is, and not as you would like it to be. This is the golden rule of realism. It is necessary not to allow yourself to be upset because of troubles, and also you should not believe that someone will solve the painful problem for you. Being an example in everything is an essential quality of a true leader. It is common to look up to such people; they are very reliable. If a leader has made a promise, albeit perhaps very tentatively, it is worth trusting that it will be kept.
An analytical mindset is exactly what will make it possible to learn valuable experience from failure. In the future, such “full cones” will definitely come in handy and help avoid possible failures.
Ability and willingness to learn. Personal growth, self-development - all this requires conscious preparation, effort and work on oneself. A leader is one who is always ready for the new and unknown, one who wants to deeply study those nuances that will subsequently make him an even more determined person.

All of these qualities that a leader needs to achieve success must be improved daily.

Obstacles to leadership

Some people believe that if they are not leaders, then they will not be able to develop such qualities in themselves. This is the main mistake that prevents you from achieving success.

In addition, there are other barriers that prevent progress in personal self-development. Among the most popular are:

Inability to clearly define goals and objectives;
Everyday vanity and minor problems that take too much time to resolve;
Inability and unwillingness to take responsibility for one’s decisions;
Fear of changing anything in your life;
Reluctance to leave the “comfort zone”;
Overwork, nervous breakdown;
Lack of motivation.

In fact, most of these problems are easily eliminated with the help of a set goal and the desire to work on yourself.

Additional materials for this lesson

You can also read useful materials on leadership in the special “Leadership and Relationships” section of our blog. The topic of this lesson is complemented by the following articles:

How to Arouse Empathy in Others
SMART goals
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Time management or time management for leaders

Please also note that some test questions for this lesson, as well as for the leadership exam, are based on the material in the above articles. Now that we've covered some tips for improving your leadership skills, let's move on to the next lesson.

Now that we've covered some tips for improving your leadership skills, let's move on to the next lesson.

What should a leader be like?

Basic leadership qualities are developed at an early age. But if for some reason the parents did not raise them in the child, when he becomes an adult, he can develop them in himself on his own. For example, long-term vision

Every manager must accumulate knowledge and experience in order to anticipate a critical situation and be able to make forecasts, which is very important in business. Listening is another valuable character trait.

A born leader must understand that he cannot be an expert in all areas. Finding the right employees, combining their efforts and achieving the goal is his main task.

A true leader is always self-critical. He knows how to admit his mistakes and apologize if he is wrong. Learning and learning again is the main “commandment” of a leader. The ability to be flexible, adapt, and focus on innovations in a particular area is a guarantee of the success of any enterprise. A true boss must be decisive, energetic and courageous. He is always an example for his subordinates.

Take responsibility

The project and team are your responsibility. Just sitting on the sidelines and handing out tasks is not about a manager or a leader. Be a mentor. Let your team know that you are ready to help no matter what happens.

What will you get?

Good students and control over the situation.

Traits of a True Leader

The innate qualities of the owner themselves do not automatically make them a leader, but they help them become. The acquired qualities can turn you into an effective leader. But, without some individual qualities, it is difficult to become a real leader that people will voluntarily follow.

Character. Determined in relation to oneself and people, to things and activities. The character trait that immediately identifies a leader is will. The ability to consciously manage one’s behavior and emotions, formulate a goal and concentrate on it. Self-regulate your own activity to achieve results. Basic volitional qualities:

Determination. A leader sees the main thing and does not lose it in many problems and trifles. The ability to concentrate on the expected result is also the ability to plan the path to achievement, as if watching a movie from the end. John Maxwell, who has written dozens of books on motivation, calls this property long-term vision.
Self confidence.
Self-control and courage. A leader's behavior depends on his decisions, not his circumstances.
Independence, determination, perseverance. Ability to make decisions. Take full responsibility and complete what you start, regardless of failures.
Proactivity, initiative, curiosity. Be in the center of things and one step ahead of everyone else.
Performance. Oddly enough, diligence is also a trait of a true leader. After all, in order for the decisions made to lead to the achievement of the goal, it is necessary to work on them diligently and systematically.

Charisma. Exclusivity and personal appeal, inspiring unconditional faith in others in the capabilities of the owner.

The desire to manage people, expressed in organizational skills:

Ability to quickly find a solution to a problem.
Communication skills. The ability to express oneself correctly and accurately.
A true leader will easily create a team. Can select the necessary personnel, find application for their abilities in the context of the assigned tasks, understands the psychology of people. Reveals their talents.
Ability to organize. Give instructions and commands or otherwise influence others. Including manipulating them.
Able to bear responsibility for the actions of subordinates.

Emotional competence. The ability to create an emotional microclimate in a community or team that is most suitable for quickly achieving your goals. Atmosphere is achieved through persuasion, suggestion or contagion. This is helped by:

Faith and passion.
Positive attitudes.
Energy.
Politeness and tact.
Listening skills.
Fairness and rigor.
Ability to punish and reward.
Flexibility of behavior.
Generosity.
Sense of humor.
Eloquence. The gift of persuasion.
The ability to appreciate people.

Competence. It is not necessary to have the highest IQ, but to be effective and successful, you must have some experience and sufficient knowledge to troubleshoot problems and find solutions.
Willingness to take risks. Inextricably linked with intuition and the ability to think analytically.
Reliability and consistency.
Knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. And the ability to work on shortcomings and organically replace them with advantages.
Ability for self-learning and self-education. The desire to develop, not to stop developing. Striving for ideal.

A leader and a manager are not the same thing. The leader is endowed with formal, official power, and the leader is endowed with the ability of psychological influence. Ideally, these two roles coincide.

You can try to cultivate real leadership traits in yourself, because it is not for nothing that the view is widespread that leaders are made, not born.

Leadership Territory

If a person wants to become a leader in a team, he needs to decide on the territory in which to do this. This could be a school, a separate class, a work team, a student group. Also take into account the nuances:

What are you? If you are in school, the goal is to become class leader. If at work, you need to show your best side and achieve the authority of a team leader. This is a prerequisite for a leader to be able to influence and influence subordinate people.
How to achieve leadership authority in a team. You should take initiative and show your desire to achieve your goals and objectives. Noticing this, higher authorities will appoint such an employee as a manager at work. In an educational institution, this prerogative belongs to the student body.
The desire to become a team leader should be natural, not feigned. You can notice this by the confidence and special energy that a person emits.

By clearly fulfilling the assigned tasks, taking these points into account, you can always become a leader - number one in the team.