What you need to have to be a leader. How do you become a leader? Simple tips for the smart and determined

Leadership is effectiveness. What needs to be done to reach this level? Read about this in detail and step by step in our article.

In the article you will read:

Key Opportunities to Become a Leader
What leadership qualities are necessary for success?
How to become a leader, what steps should be taken
What are the barriers to leadership?

How to become a leader in life and in the team- one of current issues modern business. To answer this, you need to define what the term leader means. Leadership involves the ability to lead other people. It is important to remember that leaders are not born, but become leaders over time.

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What types of leaders are there?

According to psychologists, a team may have not one leader, but several. For example, the following types of leaders in a company are distinguished:

1) Leader-executor;

2) Inspirer;

3) Universal leader;

4) Situational leader;

5) Emotional leader;

6) Business leader;

7) Formal leader;

Authority in a team is often used simply smart people with human charm. In many companies important role is given to the gender factor. For example, to an intelligent and charming man in women's team always will be special treatment. Therefore, a person can become an informal leader not because of a desire for power, but because of the provision of this function by others.

Informal leaders in a team can be identified extremely easily. To do this, you should observe how employees behave during corporate events, whose holidays turn out to be significant events within the company.

What qualities does a leader have?

Egoism or egocentrism. This leadership quality is needed to promote your interests in social environment. Characteristic this quality to a certain extent to all people.

Intellectual or ideological activity.

High degree internal and external energy, activity with high dynamics of interaction with people.

Significant power of influence.

Increased level socialization. Socialization involves a person's ability to get along with other people, build relationships, establish constructive communication, understand psychology, providing constructive communication.

What you notice about a leader

confident, focused look;
clean shoes;
neat, beautiful, stylish clothes;
a certain sense of “pathos”, manifested in communication and manners;
expensive watch, briefcase and diary are always with him;
values his time, so idleness is a rare event;
organization, no delays;
ability to make quick decisions;
communication skills;
difficult to lose your temper;
is not afraid of difficulties and difficulties, without panic in his actions and decisions;
willingness to take responsibility for actions and words spoken.

Where can you be a leader?

- At work. There are usually several leaders in an office. They are easily identified - successful, dress stylishly, and are respected among colleagues due to their experience and erudition.

- Among friends. If you strive to become a leader in life, among friends, first of all, you need self-confidence. You need to joke well, surpass your friends in some ways, get big salary, have pronounced muscles, be popular among girls. Learn to convince, to defend your position - this is especially important, since guys regularly have disputes, the results of which often determine the leaders.

- In a relationship. It is difficult to gain a leadership role in relationships with the opposite sex. After all, most couples strive for “democratic” relationships. The family is completely built on mutual concessions. Try to form relationships so that everyone is a leader in something.

- In society. To lead in life, you need fundamental changes in your character, behavior, and perhaps your appearance. It is not easy to be a leader in society, since it is usually easier to be born such a person than to become one. This person is not always completely successful, but he knows how to manage even his small success in such a way that those around him respect him. Is different beautiful speech, forcing everyone to listen. This person is not alien to a certain insolence, since it is often necessary to reflect his superiority in case of disputes.

- In a new team. The difficulty in this case lies, first of all, in the lack of trust. Therefore, it is necessary to conquer it as soon as possible. Basically, one quickly manages to become a leader in a team in which there was previously no leader or one left.

To demonstrate leadership qualities, there must be appropriate conditions

Yuri Adler, full member of the Academy of Quality Problems, Moscow

To demonstrate leadership qualities, employees must have proper working conditions. In particular, punishments should never be introduced when employees show initiative, without introducing responsibility for mistakes in this case - it rests with management.

The underlying principles of leadership are the opposite of repressive management, which is focused on punishment. It is unlikely that an employee will show proper enthusiasm if there is a subconscious readiness for punishment and repression.

Dispelling myths about leadership

“Absolutely all top managers are leaders.” In fact, not all top managers are capable of leading people.

“Many people are born leaders.” Even if you have a natural predisposition to leadership, mastering leadership skills is necessary. Therefore, it is better to focus on tasks that you can solve now. And not limit yourself to finding your life purpose.

“A leader always knows the right answer.” The ability of leaders is to set the right questions, knowing the possibilities of finding suitable answers. If you are asked questions by colleagues who can find the answers themselves, you need to remember that you are depriving them of the opportunity to “turn on their brains and think.” Leaders do not know all the answers, but rather the opportunities and places to find them.

“To become a leader, you need a high-paying position.” To be able to lead people, you just need to know how and when to do it best. The main thing is the ability to take responsibility for yourself and others.

"Leaders are self-sufficient, successful individuals" A leader can motivate himself and his team to solve problems. If a leader strives to work on a task, but is not able to inspire others to do it, then he cannot be considered a real leader. This is the difference from a manager.

“A leader is the most ambitious person.” Leadership is about the ability and desire to make a difference for people. There is nothing wrong with ambitions, but usually they only play into the hands of the person himself. If the actions you take only benefit yourself, then it is not leadership. You can only be called a true leader if you bring value to others - colleagues, clients, suppliers and society.

“Everyone is capable of being a leader.” Only those who want it can achieve leadership. It is impossible to force a person to lead if he himself does not want to.

Instructions: how to become a leader

1. Decide why you need to be a leader. You must be guided by a specific goal of what you want from life. Leadership is a means, not an end in itself.

2. Analyze your shortcomings. This can be done using several methods:

– talk to your inner critic.

– Find out the opinions of close friends and relatives. Ask them to write down all the bad things they see and love about you. It is advisable to contact your closest friends with approximately the same number of good and bad qualities. Don't be afraid to read and listen to all this. Then your fear of your inferiority will become an ally for improvement.

– on a piece of paper, indicate your shortcomings and the reasons why they prevent you from achieving your goals. After this, we burn the leaf. The procedure can be performed several times to achieve best result. Stay true to yourself. You need to write down everything you remember. Maximum honesty with yourself is necessary. Write all these factors all day long. In particular, when the reasons for dissatisfaction accumulate, you can add to your list.

– keep a success journal. You should record your successes and victories every day. Try not to forget about this, then it will be much easier. You can raise your self-esteem by making sure of your own success.

3. Find leaders. If there are no such people in your environment, you need to look for acquaintance with them.

4. Try to get along with successful people closer.

5. Do something. For example, start your own business social activities, the main thing is to act. Get used to being responsible for everything yourself. Set yourself up for success, but don't be discouraged by the lack of great results.

6. Join other people's experiences. After you begin your actions, the time comes to actively study information about leadership, studying audio training, etc.

7. Creating your own leadership style. The most difficult step in the general instructions, but it is the beginning of the growth of leadership and personality. You should take the following steps:

watch yourself from the outside;
analyze personal strengths and weaknesses;
take a closer look at the people you respect;
think about particularly successful cases.

How to help deputies become leaders

Michael Vader leading consultant and partner of the company "Center Orgprom", Yekaterinburg; President of LeadershipExcellenceInternational, Inc., Colorado Springs, USA

Not all nominal CEOs are leaders in literally words. Often to work in this position Leading experts in a particular field are attracted. However, narrow knowledge is not enough to establish effective management the entire enterprise. A true leader needs to know the answers to 3 key questions.

The first question is: how can I help people achieve success? The task of an effective leader is to inspire, encourage people to believe in success. You need to provide your deputies with the right and authority to make decisions independently, providing them with the proper resources, and not forgetting to praise them when they achieve positive results. And your managers should act similarly towards their subordinates.

You should ask who is considered the best employee in the team, what measures are being taken to encourage them? Who do they think is not coping with their tasks, and how should they be corrected? this situation? The team needs to make it clear that you are ready to help solve the problem. problematic issues and situations.

Another important to the leader the question is the motivation of top managers, what should be done for this? Provide them with all the information for acceptance management decisions. When making a decision, you need to be guided by numbers every time, otherwise successful management is impossible. The overall well-being of the company and employees will depend on the direction of development you set. Therefore, it is necessary to make informed decisions.

When making a decision, it is necessary to be guided by specific numbers - otherwise it is impossible to lead successfully. From given direction development will depend on the well-being of the organization and employees, so it is necessary to make informed decisions. Making decisions without numbers is like driving a car without a dashboard.

Responsibility of the General Director before the law and the company

When employees approach you with a proposal or problem, you should always receive justification for the stated position. After all, discussing any issue without justification becomes a useless waste of time. Managers must convey to their subordinates that in order to approve a proposal or a specific issue, they must provide you with specific data. This approach should become a habit - with confirmation of the stated statements. However, remember - do not require justification to decide private and simple questions. After all, you should never forget about common sense. Employees should deal with minor issues on their own, without distracting management on various trifles. They need to be given this opportunity even if they do not agree with their ideas. By giving in a little, you can win in a strategic goal.

Question three: what example does a manager set for employees? It's really difficult to be in the public eye all the time. Therefore, do everything on time - arrive, start meetings, end them. Remain polite without raising your voice. Praise should be public, but criticism should only be done personally with the employee, without making this problem public. And be sure to inform the offending employee that you are ready to help him correct the situation.

Indeed, it is not easy for the general director - after all, someone is always demanding some decisions. Shareholders need profits, the board of directors plans to expand the business, employees want to improve their working conditions. Everyone is sure that you owe them something. It is necessary to form an effective team, inspiring it to succeed. Require that everyone who relies on you to make certain decisions provides the appropriate information to make them. You need to lead by example and treat your subordinates with respect.

1) Need to be a purposeful person. Set precise goals and don’t expect them to be achieved every second.

2) Know how to make decisions. Always be a proactive person. When you go to the supermarket, you don’t need to think “what should I buy for dinner?” You always need to know what exactly you will cook for dinner, what is needed for this dish?

3) Have a strong character. Learn to say no if necessary.

4) Be balanced. Regardless of life and professional situations, always save inner peace– one of the main leadership qualities.

5) Be confident. One of the main qualities of a leader, without which his successful activities are impossible. To develop confidence, calmly record your small victories in Personal diary achievements.

6) Be resilient. You should never despair - main principle of your life. Just remember - to create an incandescent lamp, Thomas Edison had to conduct 2 thousand experiments.

7) Be responsible. You must always admit your mistakes and wrongs towards others. To develop responsibility there is quite a lot effective technique. Write 10 sentences on a piece of paper starting with the phrase “I am responsible for...”. Thanks to this method, you will be able to analyze what you are responsible for.

6 top manager skills that lead to success even for introverts

8) Development of your organizational skills. If disputes arise within the team, the entire work process may be disrupted. A leader needs the ability to immediately extinguish light sources of conflict. Know how to unite people into a fruitful team.

9) Work on developing your intellect. Self-development is already half of all success. Continue to study books of different genres and specialties, and not limit yourself to just your field.

10) Don’t wait for the weather by the sea, get up and do it.

How to get people to recognize you as a leader from the first minutes of meeting you

The first tip is to take time to “set” your body. Stand firmly, straight, with an even distribution of body weight on both legs, looking the listeners in the eyes, taking a breath, and only then begin. To convey authority and trust, you need to face the audience. To signal cooperation, you need to stand at an angle to the interlocutor. Eliminate the presence of obstacles between you and your interlocutor. The interlocutor must see you completely; this is the only way to gain trust.

The second tip is to control your head position. When communicating with a person one on one, indicate by tilting your head that you are interested in his words. If you plan to show trust and authority, better head do not tilt.

The third tip is don’t fuss, try not to be nervous.

The fourth tip is to look convincing, you need to control your gestures so that they correspond to the words spoken.

Fifth tip - words will sound more convincing if they are spoken with a smile, looking into the eyes of the interlocutor.

The sixth tip is to encourage a person to specific action it is necessary to address it energetically, showing enthusiasm. An important aid for this is the volume, pitch and tone of the voice.

Seventh tip - speak first, and you will be recognized as a leader.

How to become confident

Don't compare yourself to others.

Develop self-confidence. Always live your own life, and do not be guided by other people's ideals.

Hang out with positive people.

Stop criticizing yourself. Do not forget about the materialization of any thought.

Refusal of problems. Only a person who will not let everything pass through himself can gain confidence and will learn to relate more easily to various life situations. Many people like to screw things up to an extent that is sometimes just funny if it weren’t so critical. Usually ours life problems are not as complex and dangerous as we imagine.

There is no need to dwell on the past. Don't waste your energy and valuable time thinking about past actions. After all, this is history – now we need to concentrate on future success.

Listen to yourself. Understand within yourself what you really need for success.

Immerse yourself in what you love. It's hard to feel happy if you don't like or enjoy your work.

Learn to speak confidently and firmly. Words have quite a powerful power. You can tell a lot about a person's character by the words they say. You should never throw your words to the wind. There is no need to answer sharply, you need to speak calmly, clearly and confidently.

Make your weaknesses your strengths. There is no need to scold yourself for certain shortcomings. After all, each of us has certain shortcomings. Get rid of weaknesses It will be easier if you try to optimize them as much as possible. For example, consider your curiosity as inquisitiveness, and consider stubbornness as determination.

6 Reasons Why Leaders Fail

Inability to find a common language or contact. The functions of a leader are coordination and effective management, so the ability to find mutual language with subordinates.

Inability to be flexible and adapt to changing conditions. Many people say, “I don’t care what others say. These methods worked in the past and will continue to be effective now.” But it is important to understand that society and business are developing, time passes, and outdated methods do not allow achieving results.

They love themselves excessively. Every leader strives to be recognized and rewarded for their work and efforts, but some individuals are so focused on themselves that they simply forget about others for whom they are responsible.

They are afraid to make a mistake.

Inability to recover from a mistake.

The feeling of guilt does not let go. A true leader needs to take responsibility for mistakes made; he may unconsciously blame himself for mistakes made. To avoid this problem, do not blame yourself if you make mistakes. After all, the feeling of guilt will lead to the loss of the leadership position, provoking further uncertainty in decision-making and one’s actions, which will certainly be felt by other team members. It is important to understand that every person has the right to make mistakes, including a leader.

Information about authors and companies

Oleg Zheltov, CEO SVR-Media company, Moscow. CJSC SVR-Media is the founder and publisher of the weekly newspaper Argumenty Nedeli. The circulation is 570 thousand copies, distributed throughout the Russian Federation, the CIS countries and Europe. The number of personnel is 85 people.

Yuri Adler, full member of the Academy of Quality Problems, Moscow. Academy of Quality Problems. Scope of activity: conducting research on quality issues, scientific and methodological assistance in using experience and recommendations of international, regional and national organizations on quality, standardization, certification and uniformity of measurements. Form of organization: interregional public organization. Location: Moscow.

Michael Vader, leading consultant and partner of the company "Center Orgprom", Yekaterinburg; President of LeadershipExcellenceInternational, Inc., Colorado Springs, USA. "Orgprom Center". Field of activity: services for the development of the Lean system (lean manufacturing, kaizen, Toyota ProductionSystem). Form of organization: group of companies (LLC). Territory: Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries; head office - in Yekaterinburg. Number of personnel: 25. Main clients: AvtoVAZ, Bogdan Corporation, VSMPO-Avisma, European Bearing Corporation, KamAZ, Magnezit, Rusal, Sibur - Russian Tires, Philips.

Are you tired of being an obedient herd yet?

Who said you have to be born a leader?

How to become a leader in a team - an algorithm of actions.

1. Leader's territory

To become a leader, you first need to decide on the territory where you will be a leader, in which team you will be a leader. Leader in class student group, or in a team at work.

Second, you need to determine where you are in this moment? Who are you in this team? If you are currently an ordinary member of a team, then you need to obtain authority to manage this team. After all, a leader is a person who influences and influences other people. And if you have the authority, it is much easier to do this.

That is, if your team is a class or group, then you need to become a prefect. If this is a team at work, then you need to become a leader.

The third point is how you will receive these powers. The most organic way is to take the initiative so that your superior manager notices your desire and appoints you as a leader. Or you were chosen as the head of the group by your fellow students.

Fourth point, your desire to become a leader should look natural, not feigned. That is, energy and confidence should come from you, people feel it.

2. Energy of a leader

Where to get energy? Energy in human body comes from three basic instincts responsible for survival.

1. The individual's survival instinct. To get an idea of the energy of this instinct, imagine that you are lying on the sofa, you are too lazy to get up, they are spinning different thoughts. And suddenly a siren howled and the bombing began, buildings were collapsing, there was a fire, etc. You will instantly jump up, all your thoughts will be focused, your energy will be overflowing.

Or the second option, you are walking through the forest, and suddenly a bear is chasing you...

2. The instinct of survival in a group, or the so-called hierarchical instinct. It encourages you to take more high position

a team. Since your biological survival and the distribution of resources in the group depend on this. No one wants to be “disgraced” and humiliated, so people strive up the social ladder. A good example in this case is Michael Tyson, who was often beaten by his peers as a child, and what this led to. Who doesn’t know, he became the world heavyweight boxing champion at the age of 19. That is, he became the most strong man

in the world.

3. Instinct for the survival of the species, or sexual instinct. He makes you want to be liked. Go to any fitness club, see how people mock themselves, and at the same time they pay a lot of money for it. What motivates them to do this? After all, from a logical point of view, it is absolutely not rational to go to the gym after work in order to get even more tired.

This is an example of the work of the sexual instinct, that is, the desire to please outweighs the desire to relax.

3. How to get energy

How to get energy when there is no war and you are not dying of hunger, but you are still not satisfied with the current state of affairs? I will give an example from the training of the same Ayaz Shabutdinov.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself 10 years from now when you have achieved your goals. What kind of car do you have, what countries do you vacation in, what kind of sexual partners do you have. You need to feel everything deeply and get positive emotions.

And then imagine that you didn’t do anything, everything went by itself. You worked poorly, did not show initiative, and eventually you were fired. You started living on credit, then the bailiffs took away your apartment, and you found yourself on the streets in winter, hungry. Close your eyes and imagine this situation and the emotions that arise in you. Fear, resentment towards life, etc.

Here are two options for developing your future, with positive and negative emotions. The result is a potential difference, a certain voltage. This tension is the motivation and energy that will support you on your path to leadership.

4. What else prevents you from becoming a leader?

And one more thing, so that the desire for leadership looks organic and does not raise doubts among others. Most people have feelings irrational fear, shame and guilt. This manifests itself as uncertainty, indecision, shyness, fearfulness.

Thoughts are constantly spinning in my head about what people will think and what they will say about me. It prevents you from focusing on your tasks, it distracts your attention, and it reduces your effectiveness by 80 percent.

And most importantly, it is reflected in your body, your gait, your gaze, gestures, timbre and volume of your voice. That is, your voice becomes quiet, your eyes shift, your posture becomes slouched. This is all subconsciously read by the people around you, and they will not perceive you as a leader. The solution to these problems is described in detail.

A leader must appear confident and speak clearly. The back should be straight, the voice loud, not compressed. Thoughts must be clear, goals clear.

Clarity of thought is given by the detailed elaboration of the plan, the calculation of various options for the development of events and how many steps forward. It is imperative to work out an action plan for the most negative scenario. This will give you extra confidence.

The multi-variance and calculation of situations several steps ahead is very well described in the book “Truckers”. Note, main character walked on a razor's edge, but he had a plan for any scenario, and he knew how to get away with any seemingly hopeless situation.

5. How to strengthen the power of a leader

So, you have received your credentials. The next step is to strengthen your power.

The first step is to get rid of the opposition. In any team there are envious people and competitors. And they usually try to try to discredit the leader. In order to further move towards your goal, you need to get rid of them, since they carry an alien ideology, and simply take away attention and energy.

An important point is that criticism must be correctly divided into constructive and non-constructive. That is, if your goals coincide with the person, perhaps this criticism is constructive.

Constructive criticism is very useful for a leader as it reduces the chances of making mistakes and accordingly it works in your interest. Therefore, you need to very carefully understand the critical remarks and find errors in your position or the position of your opponent. This behavior will not only save you from mistakes, but will also increase your authority, which is only to your advantage.

The second type of criticism is not constructive. There are such people - energy vampires, they don’t offer anything constructive, but simply enter into an argument in order to draw attention to themselves and feed on your energy.

Naturally, it is in your interests from such people.

The second step is to form an ideology.

Example: Let's say you are a store owner, and in that case, to maximize profits, you need to instill in the minds of your employees the idea of maximum customer satisfaction. This ideology should fit well into the heads of sellers, since they themselves are interested in this, because they receive a percentage of sales.

First, you need to develop business processes. That is, highlight the repeating actions that make up the cycle of attracting and serving customers.
That is, work out the design of the store;
Work out how to meet a client;
How to say hello;
How to find out needs;
How should the seller be dressed?
Work out sales algorithms;

All these points need to be explained in detail to employees, why, why, and why this needs to be done this way and not otherwise. A detailed justification of the rules of behavior significantly reduces resistance to innovation.

It is important to note that people are inert, and the formation of new beliefs and behavior does not happen overnight. And a leader needs to be able to show patience and explain everything again and again. On average, this takes up to two months.

The introduction of new beliefs is noticeably accelerated if people are placed under stress. It has been scientifically proven that during times of stress, people release a special hormone that accelerates the formation of new neural connections in the brain, and this is new memory and new patterns of behavior.

Remember the lessons at school, if the teacher is very strict, then you listen more attentively, and the material is somehow remembered better. AND homework you will not forget to do it, and you will submit it on time.

Therefore, a leader must always be ready for conflict, he must be able to abruptly stop correct behavior, pull the offender down. To learn how to abruptly stop someone’s behavior, it is advisable to practice several appropriate phrases with which you can shut up your interlocutor. This psychological weapon is described in detail in the book by Alexander Kotlyachkov: “The Weapon is the Word.”

And when deciding important tasks a leader must be able to put the entire team under stress, as this mobilizes resources and dramatically increases the output from people. An example is Stalin, what discipline and labor productivity were like then. No one dared to be late for work, much less steal anything.

Let me remind you that the economy was growing at 25% per year at that time. And in our time, many successful directors or business owners are authoritarian leaders.

They have a psychopathic personality type. That is, sometimes they simply fall into fits of rage and yell at their subordinates, which greatly increases their productivity.

If the leader is sufficiently puzzled, it is not very difficult to form the necessary behavior and worldview in the team. Moreover, the patterns of human behavior come to the aid of a leader. Every person subconsciously seeks a leader who will take upon himself decision-making and responsibility for their consequences.

Firstly, this is ingrained from childhood, that is, when the parent is nearby, the child feels calm and protected.

And here a leader comes to the rescue, who makes decisions for them, naturally, first of all, in his own interests, and the rest as it turns out.

Well, as a last resort, you can always say that he did everything he could and blame others for the failures. Therefore, becoming a leader is extremely profitable, otherwise you will most likely remain on the sidelines of life. Thirdly, human nature itself is on your side. By using psychological experiments

It has been proven that personality qualities are formed as a result of external situations affecting a person, and are not given to a person from birth.

Read about the “Zimbardo experiment”, its essence is that randomly selected volunteers were put in an improvised prison, they were divided into prisoners and guards. Two days later, the guards began to show sadistic tendencies, and the prisoners, on the contrary, began to feel helpless and submissive.

On the sixth day, the experiment was stopped because it was out of control.

The guards turned into notorious sadists, and the observers could no longer look at the abuse. We are interested in one single question here. How did some ordinary citizens turn into sadists after six days, and others into obedient, helpless slaves?! The answer is that we already have all the qualities, and they are simply activated in the circumstances we need. The fact that the human psyche is very plastic could be understood without experiments. Remember how Hitler influenced the population of Germany. But they, too, were ordinary citizens, and then they calmly went to work in concentration camps and gas chambers. Or modern example, watch the video on YouTube about

North Korea . What ordinary citizens look like there, what they say about their leader. Do they even look like people? What happened to them? What is the practical use for us in these examples to become leaders?

The benefit of this knowledge is that if we set ourselves the conditions under which we will need

leadership skills

, they will gradually manifest themselves in us. And if we avoid making decisions, we will gradually turn into obedient slaves. common name"Become a leader in 48 hours."

1. All managers are leaders

In fact: Some managers are able to lead people, others are not. Management is one of the possibilities of leadership, but not an equivalent.

Managers have well-developed communication skills and are able to organize the work process. They hire people to work. But if they are unable to identify best employees, constantly improve the work of the organization, develop their employees, then they will not become leaders.

Leadership a priori implies favorable changes, continuous improvement and development.

2. Some people are born to be leaders.

In fact: even those who have a predisposition to lead must master leadership skills.

A child may have a predisposition for basketball, but if he does not practice hard, he is unlikely to become a great basketball player.

In addition, a predisposition to leadership is not always as obvious as it might seem at first glance. So it's better to focus on what you can do now than to think and look for life's purpose.

3. A leader always has the right answers.

In fact: leaders know how to ask the right questions and know where to look for the right answers.

If people in your company constantly come to you with questions that they could answer on their own, remember that you are depriving them of the opportunity to “turn on their brains and think.”

If you give a person fish, he will be fed for one day. And if you give him a fishing rod, he will be fed for the rest of his life.

Leaders don’t have “absolutely all the answers,” they just know where to look for them.

4. To be a leader, you need a high position.

In fact: to lead people, you just need to know the best time to do it and how to do it. And most importantly, you must be able to take responsibility for yourself and other people.

When I stay at a hotel, most of the people I encounter there - from the receptionist to the waiters and cleaners - do not have a high position or authority over people, but they are responsible for the comfortable stay of all hotel guests. Good staff are much more likely than top management (who, in essence, are the formal leaders) to take responsibility.

A leader always makes people's lives better. In successful organizations, any employee is able to bear responsibility, even if his position is low.

5. Leaders do everything themselves.

In fact: a leader is able to motivate himself and his team to work.

If a leader has a great desire to work on a task, but he cannot “infect” his team with the same impulse, he is not true leader. This is what distinguishes a leader from a manager: a manager, as a rule, is focused on the task, but a leader can make sure that not only he himself is focused, but also the people on his team.

6. Leadership is ambition

In fact: Leadership is the ability and desire to benefit people.

There is nothing wrong with ambition, but it usually only plays into the hands of the person himself. If what you do benefits only you, you are unlikely to be considered a leader.

If what you do benefits others - customers, colleagues, suppliers, society at large - then you can truly be called a true leader.

7. Anyone can become a leader

In fact: Only someone who wants to become a leader can become a leader.

You cannot force a person to lead if he does not want to. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. In addition to talent and ability, you also need desire.

Do you think that you have the makings of a leader and want to develop them further? Or maybe, on the contrary, you think that you lack some qualities? Even if you haven’t thought about it at all, read the tips on how to discover leadership qualities in yourself, what to do to develop them and where they will come in handy.

There are formal and informal leaders. The former more often occupy the corresponding position (headman, chief). An informal leader becomes due to his abilities and authority. In a team, the formal and informal leader is not necessarily one person.

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.

8) Respectful: you accept people as they are. Do you know how to find in others the good side 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 develop leadership qualities

Every person has one or another set of leadership qualities. Many of them may be dozing. If you have set yourself the goal of being a real leader, then it’s time to start developing in this direction.

Be proactive

Accustom yourself to the idea that no one but you is responsible for the events in your life. The main rule is to stop complaining about problems and look for ways to solve them. For example, if you lack cultural leisure, offer to help the teacher organizer in preparing a school party.

You won’t be able to immediately become Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979−1990) or Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google). First learn to be a leader in a small team

To take responsibility

The quote “we are responsible for those we have tamed” should become your motto. Take the initiative more often. The leader's task is to control his own ideas. If you are organizing an event, think through everything to the smallest detail: attract assistants, find a venue, agree on the necessary equipment. And don't refuse help. And when entrusting a task to someone, still be prepared to be responsible for the result yourself.

Listen and accept criticism

You'll have to get used to criticism addressed to you and learn to respond adequately to them. A leader is always ready for change, even if it goes against his ego.

Don't be afraid of new things

A leader constantly needs to step out of his comfort zone. Don't be afraid to do something new. If, for example, you have no experience in decorating a room, try to find out everything about it on the Internet. Ask advice from people who They've been doing this sort of thing longer than you. Someone asks for help and advice - don’t refuse. Although it will take time, you will receive gratitude and loyalty in return.

Think about others

Listen to the moods and doubts of those around you, do not forget to ask your friends and acquaintances about their affairs. Put other people's interests on a level with your own. Try to make everyone in the company feel needed. So the team will rally around you. And you will be able to realize your ambitions as a leader.

What professions require leadership skills?

There are a number of professions where leadership qualities are the basis successful work. Among them is a lawyer,, , HR specialist, etc. In many other professions there is the possibility of vertical career growth. The top are the leaders, managers. Any leader of a team, department, or enterprise should try to be both a formal and informal leader.

Leadership qualities will help you in your student years if you decide to be or a member of the student council

If you want to delve deeper into the topic of leadership, read books "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" John Maxwell "How to become leaders" Warren Bennis or “Emotional leadership. The art of managing people based on emotional intelligence» Daniel Goleman.

Even if you don’t plan to take on the role of a leader, some of his qualities will help you expand your horizons. This will enable you to better cope with negative circumstances, take decisive action when necessary, and stand up for your rights.

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Find your strength -
And you will become the center
Which it revolves around
It's your time.
Richard Bach

Becoming a leader is not an easy task. And to be a real leader, the center of a team, a company, one’s life is charisma, individual inner essence a person, his enormous potential, which can seriously ignite, inspire others and lead.

Where do leaders come from? Are they born or made? And if they are not born, then how to become a leader? How to be a leader in a team? In company? In Group? At work? How to become a leader in life? Let's try to answer these questions.

Born to be a leader

There are people who are often called “darlings of fate”, “lucky” and so on. And they are called that because they were already born in such a good place, in such a family and in such living conditions that they have everything: parents, grandparents who adore their baby, the most important, “center” person. And while he is growing, he gets all the best, the newest, the very best. Only he is given all the attention and love. And when he reaches adulthood, the best position in his father’s or family business, the best car, the first beauty of the city, and the like await him.

And if someone who was already born to be a leader has at least a drop of awareness and gratitude to loved ones and life for all the blessings that have been given to him, if he continues to develop and increase what he already possesses, then he will truly become good, real, effective a leader in every sense and in all areas of life. There are such stars, but they are few. Such people are called golden youth, but not in the sense that they are some kind of majors, but simply the best among their peers, who, for example, were born in more modest conditions and who need to blaze their own path in life.

And a handful of people like golden youth are individuals born with more high qualities souls, they have a sense of gratitude, nobility, genius Creative skills and talents, which they are very purposeful and from the very early childhood develop. They also have simplicity and tact in relation to other people, relatives, friends, colleagues, subordinates.

How to become such a leader ordinary people? Is this real? What should a leader be like?

Talent to be a leader

But here it doesn’t matter what conditions it was in a man is born. But he definitely knows and feels that he has leadership qualities and abilities. In this case, it doesn’t matter how exactly the parents treat their child, they can even suppress him in a sense, but inside him lives a spirit of contradiction. But in a team, in a group, in an enterprise, he will definitely reveal himself as a leader, and he will do this, naturally, with brilliance. There are always a lot of people around such a person: in the sandbox, on the playground, in the classroom, in the yard, in student team, at the enterprise. And if such a leader has a good, friendly attitude towards people, talent and its implementation in any business or craft, then he will certainly become successful and effective.

How to become a leader?

All the options discussed above are quite simple, natural and require more work in terms of any professional direction and development of business skills.

And if, for example, a person has never felt the ability, opportunity and desire to be a leader and be in the center of attention. And he was born into a simple family, where besides him there were other children. And in kindergarten, at school, college and at work, he also did not show any inclination towards leadership. How to become a leader in this case? But suddenly, fleetingly, completely unexpectedly, such an incendiary desire is born. What if it works?

Anything can be a catalyst. The boss praised me for a task well done, rejoiced at my colleague’s success, and my parents inspired me. And suddenly the idea came to try it too. A leader can become a person who will constantly work on himself, go towards perfection, and not stop there. The main thing is not to be afraid of difficulties, then there is a greater chance that everything will work out.

Leader in a team

How to become a leader in a team? Is desire and aspiration enough? Maybe it becomes interesting and exciting. This additional opportunity test yourself, move from boring and tedious work to more interesting one. Life will sparkle with new colors.

How to become a leader in a team? At first, not everything may work out perfectly, because doubts and fears immediately wake up and begin to actively interfere with the emergence of a new quality of character, a new stage in life. But if everything is in order with a person’s will and faith, he can do it!

It is very important that this new is consistent with inner world so that harmony and balance are necessarily present in the soul and heart. You need to constantly ask yourself, am I going there? Is this what I really want? What will I get as a result? And then everything else. It's stubborn painstaking work over oneself: changing a number of qualities that accompany leadership development (a different attitude towards oneself, more efficient use of one’s time in life, a deep approach in relationships with people, and so on), professional development, open new horizons in life. You can go towards this throughout your entire adult life.

As a result, a person finds his inner strength in a completely new quality, he begins to feel his power and self-confidence. He truly trusts himself. And this gives energy that is felt by the people around who are still walking sleepily through life. And such a person begins to light them up. And if he believes in himself, then he will definitely want to believe in others, because they also have abilities and opportunities, you just have to wish it, really want it.

Leader in the company

How to become a leader in a company? If we consider a company as an enterprise, then, in general, the leader is not particularly different from the leader in the team, except for scale. When leadership qualities very clearly and persistently begin to manifest themselves in a narrow circle (in a team, department, division), then over time they expand to more high level, that is, for the entire enterprise, for the entire company.

The employee becomes even more in demand, is in the authority of managers and his colleagues, they begin to trust him, including serious projects. You can even observe the following trend: the stronger the power and inspiration with which the leader approaches solving work issues and life issues, the faster and better others begin to think and act.

Leader in the group

How to become a leader in a group? When a person reveals his internal potential, he becomes charismatic and interesting. People listen to him wherever he is: in the family, in the store, at work, in a group of friends and like-minded people. Because people feel and perceive real leaders, their energy, and show trust in them.

good leader

How to become good leader? It is very important to be sincere towards everyone, from management to the last level of subordinates. Sometimes it is necessary to be strict, but fair, tolerant and kind to people. Be able to teach if required. Be tactful and wise. Constantly take an interest not only in yourself and your affairs, but also in the life and affairs of your team, subordinates, and people around you, and with lively participation and interest.

Effective leader

How to become an effective leader? And here you just need to constantly and unceasingly grow and develop, read, learn new things, reveal new facets of your individuality, be in the flow of life, and improve. And it is very important to be flexible, and sometimes completely irrational, if life demands it. But here the leader always listens to his inner strength, intuition, because he trusts it.

Go forward, work on yourself, improve, then you will easily become a leader in life!