For someone who is taking the reins of a leadership role for the first time, there will be a lot of uncertainty and questions.
- What actually makes a good leader?
- Are you want to be a good leader?
- What type of management style fit you the best?
These are topics that have been wildly debated and pondered. The question behind these that everyone truly wants to know is: How do I succeed as a leader?
You can find lot of articles and books on the topic of leadership. A simple internet search will bring you about thousands of pages for your consumption — pages that are ready to tell you who you are and what it takes to accomplish the success for which you are searching. If you review the first page of results alone, you can notice that none of them seem to be a convincing one.
You might see "The six types of leaders," "The eight types of leaders,” "The 10 types of leaders" and more. If no one can come to a consensus on types of leadership styles, how do you figure out where you fit?
The easiest answer to discover is:
- Only you can define the type of leader you are.
- Only you can pave the way toward success or failure.
There is nothing wrong in doing research to get advice and discover ideas or answers you might not have thought of on your own. There is no checklist on how to become an effective leader. You should not focus on one specific description and how an article or a book has highlighted what the word “effective leader” exactly means. I believe concrete titles and definitions can bring you more trouble than success.
What defines a “Good Leader”
A good leader has personality, courage, clear vision with ambition to succeed. A good leader encourages the team to perform to their optimum all the time and drives organisational success. The most important aspect of good leadership is assisting the team members in excelling at their tasks.
It is, of course, not a good idea to let your team take control. No matter what type of leadership approach you choose, you are the leader and are there to act as a guide. Remember that if you become too rigid and unyielding in your approach, you could be missing out on a wealth of unrealized talent.
Staples of Strong Leadership
An open mind and a willingness to learn are also staples of strong leadership.
Be willing to listen and learn from your team, just as they learn from you. Every person has strengths and weaknesses. Each individual has an opportunity to complement one another. Perfection is not a plausible goal, but building an incredible team can tackle each task with impressive momentum is an achievable and lofty ambition.
Continue to listen, learn and grow. Working to enhance your skills and knowledge is paramount for nurturing the team long-term, high-achieving leader.
Remember, you are unique, and this is your opportunity to create your own definition of a "good leader."