Whether you are the head of your family, a manger at work or perhaps even a key member within your church, all of these roles and more require a certain amount of leadership to keep things moving in the right direction. We are all leaders in some way and we should aspire to be leaders in areas that are important to us.
If we can identify what real leadership looks like, we can set goals for personal growth to develop our “leadership muscle.” What is a leader's real job? Is it about being liked or being respected? Or maybe both? Is it to lead people to where that leader wants to go, or is it about empowering people to make their own best decisions?
Great leaders consistently do the following:
- Earn the right to have responsibility for others by virtue of their solid character and trustworthiness.
- Are passionate, dedicated and energize others to achieve common goals.
- Contemplate, innovate, and create the organization’s purpose, vision, and strategic position to anticipate the future.
- Give good direction by painting a picture of what that future will look like.
- Surround themselves with good people and help those people grow.
- Inspire their team by conveying a vision, showing what is possible, and reassuring their team when there are both highs and lows.
- Supply the necessary training, support and development for their teams to grow as individuals and collectively.
- Act as a coach to their teams and not as a player.
- Manage authority judiciously and delegate power generously.
Are you a great leader? Are you on your way? Do you have a solid character that the people around you can look up to? Are you the hero of your family or church by standing up for what is right and fair? Are you passionate about your job, your family or your faith? There is a saying that a great leader is born and yet, leadership can be a skill that is developed like any other. What are you doing to develop your individual “leadership muscle?”
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