A team is as good as its leadership. If the leadership is strong, the team will be performing at its peak. Conversely, if the leadership is sub-par, the team would perform accordingly. Therefore, there is an inherent relationship between a team’s performance and the leadership that leads it.
So, what does it take to be a good leader? What are the markers that a good leader demonstrates? These are some of the questions that we will be discussing in the article, which will help you become better leaders than you are.
Who Is A Leader?
Leadership courses are great for learning how to be a better leader. However, they do not quite clarify the correct definition of a leader. Who is a leader? Is it the person who issues the order, or is it something more than that? In all honesty, finding out who is a leader is part of the journey.
A leader is not someone who issues orders; they are someone who inspires others. It is someone who takes on the responsibility of a job. Somebody who faces the berating or the praise when a job is done.
A leader is a person who is deeply involved in the team and understands that team values take precedence over all else. But beyond all rhetoric, a leader is a person who delivers. A person who follows through on their professional commitments and delivers.
Markers Of Good Leadership
Good leadership is a nuanced subject. While some people adopt a logical and dry approach to defining the term, others take a more rhetorical approach. Therefore, having a clear understanding of the markers is quite important. Here are some key markers of effective leadership that people should be aware of.
Self-Awareness
A good leader needs to be self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses. A person who lacks clarity on who they are will never be able to steer their team towards success. Being self-aware is an inward trait that is not just necessary for leadership. It is also about overall development.
A person who understands their place in the grand scheme of things will always make promises that they can keep. This is a crucial detail that a leader must possess. To never bite off more than you can chew. This is one of the four aspects of being self-aware.
Respect
Respect is crucial for being an effective leader. You cannot expect your team to work with you if you do not give them the due consideration they deserve. Always remember that people are working with you and not for you. This fundamental aspect of being a leader is often mistaken.
Now, we are not asking you to be a casual leader who has no idea or control over their team. But we are also not asking you to become a draconian paragon of leadership that does not produce results, but only leaves quiet scars of trauma.
Be a quiet but resilient leader who stands on business and never belittles anybody. This is an important detail that more people need to understand.
Compassion
Compassion or empathy is one of the most effective ways to build a sense of bond with your team. You can never have a loyal team if they do not feel a connection to you. They need to feel a connection with you and sense that you feel a connection with them.
Compassionate leadership is about understanding your employees on a personal level. This can be a challenging task at first, but if done correctly, it can help build a lifelong camaraderie with your teammates.
Vision
You might be a leader with style, but you cannot produce any results if you lack a vision of greatness. By vision of greatness, we mean that the leader must have an idea of overall growth. This is what it means to be a purpose-driven leader.
You cannot just relate to your teammates and expect the job to be done. You also need to understand what the goal is, or what is expected of the team, and push them towards that. Therefore, being a purposeful leader is equally important.
That’s It!
A leader leads by example. Therefore, the final and most important thing that you must do is to ensure that you lead by example. If you are a charismatic leader with cult following, then it is highly likely that people would mimic you. Therefore, start leading by example and show what it means to be a leader to the ones who follow you.