Do you have these questions in your mind?
how to become a great leader step by step?
What makes a good leader?
Are leaders born or are they developed?
Can I become an effective or good leader?
If yes, then
in this, I will go through 10 step-by-step methods to become a great leader
Let's start with the word leadership. What does leadership mean? There are many definitions of leadership. Everyone defines leadership differently, but let's try to understand the word leadership.
If we break down the word leadership into" lead " and "ship",
Lead means to show someone the right way. A ship is a kind of boat that floats on the water. This means there is a person who is guiding the ship, and the people on the ship as well.
A leader must know exactly where he or she is moving.
What are the top 10
qualities, characteristics, or traits of a successful leader?
1: Visionary
Having a vision is probably the most important quality of a leader. A leader has a vision. A great leader looks at the world and how it will be in 10 years. In some cases, they look at the world and how it will look after hundreds of years.
Steve Jobs was a visionary man. He gave us a mobile phone that we can use without buttons. When politicians draft a bill to pass in the assembly or parliament, they think about its effects after 10 or maybe 20 years.
If a leader does not have a vision of where he or she is going he or she will end up nowhere. In the case of a ship, if the captain of the ship does not know where he or she is going; they will either reach the wrong place or lose fuel and the ship will sink into the water.
2: Consultation
Before taking a decision, a leader gathers his or her team members and consults with them. A good leader listens to the ideas of his or her team members but the final decision is taken by the leader.
A successful leader gives importance to the ideas of his or her team which boosts respect in the hearts of his or her team members.
His or her team members respect him or her. In the past, we have witnessed some dictators who took big decisions without consulting their teams but effective leaders don't do this.
They give importance to the ideas of their team members.
3: Appreciation
Good leaders do not undervalue their team. They value the achievements of their team. Sometimes, they appreciate their teams in the form of appreciating words. They sometimes reward them to show their appreciation.
Appreciating each other motivates the team to work hard and achieve more milestones. When leaders do not appreciate their team for their successes, they feel demotivated and stop working hard.
Great leaders accept the achievements of their teams.
4: Leading by the example
A good leader knows the importance of leading by example. There are a lot of leaders who give instructions to their employees or teams to do this and that…
They fail to follow those instructions themselves, which in turn enables their team not to follow the instructions of their leaders. Successful leaders set an example for their teams.
At the battle of Khandaq, the last messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led his team of companions by setting an example for them.
One of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came and said,
"I'm so hungry that I tied a stone to my stomach to lessen the feeling of hunger."
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) showed his stomach to his companion. His companion was surprised to see that the two stones were tied to the stomach of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
5: Planning
To achieve any goal, we need to have a
plan. Good leaders make plans in advance to achieve their targets. They
constantly review their performance every day.
if they make a mistake, they avoid repeating those mistakes again. Planning makes their life easier, more efficient, and more productive.
6: Patience
Sometimes, the odds are against us. We do not get the desired results. It may take more time than we expect.
When Elon Musk decided to make a reusable rocket. He invested his money into the project. On the first attempt, he failed. He tried again and failed.
If he had failed for the third time in a row, he would have gone bankrupt. However, he remained patient and kept putting in the work, and on the third attempt, he succeeded.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah struggled for decades to get independence. A good leader remains patient during difficult times. It's one of the most significant qualities of a good leader.
7: Humbleness
Another quality of a successful leader is that they are not arrogant; they respect their team members. They do instruct their team members on different tasks but in a respectful way.
When employees or team members make mistakes, effective leaders correct them politely. Good leaders accept their mistakes.
They create a friendly environment for their teams which allows the team to grow.
8: Delegation
One of the most successful business leaders, Richard Branson said,
"An entrepreneur is not a manager. An entrepreneur is someone great at conceiving ideas, building ideas, starting ideas, and then handing them over to a really good manager to manage them."
Now from this quote by Richard Branson what we can understand is that a true leader does not do everything himself.
A good leader delegates his or her tasks to his or her managers because he or she knows that he or she cannot do everything. Delegating tasks also creates a sense of trust between managers and their employees.
9: Truthfulness
This is one of the most defining traits of a successful leader. It is important, to be honest with leaders who make mistakes. They do not hide their flaws.
They accept their mistakes. They let their employees or team members know that they are human beings. They can make mistakes, great leaders accept their flaws, and smart business owners let their customers know that the product or service they're selling has these flaws.
People do not follow dishonest leaders
10: Never Give Up
Last but not least, good leaders never give up if they fail. Instead, they learn from their mistakes, they keep working towards their goal, and they motivate their employees or team to never give up.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was criticized by his enemies. They laughed at him, they would tease him.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in the minority. During the 13 years of Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) faced many obstacles and many problems but he never gave up.
Throughout his life, he worked hard to convey the message of Allah.
Finally, after 17 years of struggle, he conquered Mecca. When he conquered Mecca, he forgave all of his past enemies and did not kill any of them. A great leader keeps on working towards his or her goals until he or she achieves them.
Are leaders born or made?
This is one of the most common questions that people ask…
"Can I become a leader?
Is it an inborn skill?"
Many leaders are born with leadership traits, but you don't have to worry about these characteristics since they can be learned. One can develop these above-mentioned qualities of a great leader by practicing.
How can I develop the qualities of a great leader?
Remember that humans cannot do everything at once. You cannot become a great leader overnight.
You need to develop these traits one by one. You should first decide what qualities you want to develop to become a great leader.
Make realistic goals, and be patient. You have to practice these traits every day. Let's start by focusing on one feature. When you practice this particular trait many times, then work on another quality.
Keep on working until you develop all these above-mentioned characteristics of a competent leader.
Let me know in the comments which topic you would like me to write on next.