Yes, I admit leadership is a pretty common topic. It’s a safe statement to say that everybody knows what a leader is and what they do, but what does it take to be a leader? What should a leader be? If everyone possesses the quality of a leader, can’t we all be leaders, then?
Knowing what the quality of a leader is easy. It’s also easy to say you have those qualities. It isn’t hard to do, really, “Oh, my name is Jason and I am patient, diligent, passionate, and so on, so forth.” but do words really mean anything if you’re unable to fulfill those deeds you were so confident to say in front of a lot of people?
I’d like to share with you the experiences I’ve gained from being a leader, and being a member. As well as why I prefer to be a member if someone I know for sure is more capable to lead me and other people.
What defines a good leader?
Again, it’s a pretty common question. It’s pretty basic, don’t you think? Well, if it’s so basic, why is it so hard to do? Why is it hard to maintain these qualities as a leader?
There’s a difference between knowing it and doing it. Sure, a leader may know about the qualities they should possess, but not everyone is willing to do that. Why? Some people just want to have the entitlement, the reputation as being a leader of a well-known group. They might also just don’t care about their position so they let other people take care of the things they should be worrying about.
Being a leader doesn’t mean we’re more of a human than our members. It doesn’t make us special; we’re still human, we’re still like the others. The only thing leaders have is their delegated position, nothing more, nothing less. This means that leaders absolutely have no right to make their members less of a human. If their members make mistakes, so do them. No leader is perfect, that’s a well-known fact, but what isn’t a well-known fact is that leaders shouldn’t pass their faults to others.
A good leader would rather accept those faults than blame them to their members.
“Why do you think that’s the case?” you might be wondering. Well, since you’re their leader, everything they do is under your control. How they handle their task is dependent on how you lead them. The rate of which they make a mistake depends on how much you train them. So, if everything a member knows and does is under their leader, then the leader is at fault for them being that way.
Leading by example
Have you ever given a list of rules and regulations to your members? Well, I bet every leader definitely has; no surprises on that. These rules and regulations are what holds us from becoming disciplined, professional, and perform well.
However, don’t you think it’s a bit weird if the leader themselves doesn’t follow the rules and regulations they’ve given? If they want their members to follow their orders, isn’t it plausible to see them do it themselves first? It shows that if someone can do it; leader, then everyone else can also do it. It encourages others to follow the right thing to do.
If, for example, there’s a case where a leader breaks a rule, the other members will start having the urge to not follow them, as well. “Look at our leader, if he has the audacity to be late for our meeting, how does he expect us to be here on time?” is what some of them might say to each other.
To avoid this conflict altogether, every leader must be a great example for their members.
Takes Responsibility
A leader’s responsibility isn’t a joke. Carrying the burden of the entire team really is exhausting. The responsibility they do every day may vary depending on the needs of the group. This is the point when some leaders give up on their duties and let their members do the work. Why? Because they were too overwhelmed and they lost patience.
A leader should be able to handle their responsibilities, regardless of how difficult each one may be.
Before becoming a leader, it’s something they should expect in the future. Being a leader will not be easy, not in the long run. A good leader should be able to handle the pressure, the patience, the will, and the attitude to carry the entire weight of the group.
Take note that without the brain, our body will not move voluntarily.
It’s the same concept in a group. If it so happens that a leader decides to give up and let their members do the work, they won’t be able to function harmoniously. A lot of conflicts will appear which will pull the team from creating progress.
Patience is a virtue
Being a leader is not only exhausting, but it also takes a lot of patience as well. Patience is the inner force inside you that pulls you away from going into chaos. It’s what prevents us from freaking out or be dragged by stress. It’s something every leader should possess and should possess a lot.
A leader’s patience is tested whenever conflict arises, it gets even more deteriorated once stress adds in, it fades away exponentially when problems are stacked above each other. This is the point where a leader’s ability to handle stress is tested. Every leader should know that, for the sake of the entire team, they must remain calm and handle every situation in a professional way, as to not create unnecessary problems to arise.
Before a person can become a leader, they should really think it upon themselves if they’ll be strong enough to endure the pain and suffering to get their members to success.
Maturity Age
It goes without saying that a leader should be mature enough to face their duties. Maturity is the ability of an individual to understand different perceptions, opinions, and philosophies of other people, even if the other people’s ideas go against their own.
Why is maturity an important quality a leader must possess? Well, the more people they lead, the more brains that’ll function. The more brains present within the members, the more opinions will be circulating around. There will be times when a member will suggest something better than what a leader has. In which case, the leader must really be considerate of their suggestions, and not focus on what they say.
Accepting that other people’s suggestions are better than your own doesn’t necessarily mean they're smarter than you, it just means that they’re willing to contribute their creative ideas for the team.
Indecisive leaders tend to listen only to their own thoughts, believing that since they are their leader, they are better in every way. This is wrong, which might not be obvious for everyone, but think about it for a minute and let it sink in. Each one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. A lot of factors present in a group’s project might not always fall under the leader’s strengths. In which case, they should be open to the suggestions of their members whose strength falls upon that topic.
In my opinion, it’s better if the entire group will decide between the suggestions present in front of them, not the leader themselves. Letting the members vote creates an atmosphere that they have the ability to decide for the group; an important sensation that’ll make them feel more appreciated within the group.
Leaders should listen to their members’ suggestions. If they think it’s not going to be great, they should tell them why; in a calm and enthusiastic tone of voice. No matter what happens, the members should always be comfortable and excited to share their thoughts with their leader.
Encourages members
A leader should be able to motivate their members whenever they feel negative or sad. It’s their job to enhance the group’s workforce. When everything seems to be going all wrong, the leader should be the one who’d stand up in front of everyone, let them calm down for a bit, explain to them where they possibly went wrong, and discuss how the team will recover.
A leader should avoid blaming their specific members. The entire team functions as one entity. If one succeeds, it’s everyone’s success. If one fails, it’s everyone’s failure. A leader should accept both sides. They shouldn’t appear only when the team is doing great and disappear when all hell starts to break loose.
Without the leader’s inspirational and motivational speeches, the entire team will feel as though they were dumped by their leader. The members who expect to hear words of wisdom from their leader will be disappointed. The way the team functions is heavily affected. The group will fall, and will eventually fail rock bottom.
Difference between a boss and a leader
This may be a popular comparison circulating around the internet. It’s easy for people to decipher its meaning, but is it really applied in real life? In my own personal opinion, I believe that everyone who leads their members should be a leader, not a boss. A leader should never even think about becoming a boss in front of their members.
What is the difference?
If you have no clue or you haven’t seen the famous picture going around the internet, a boss is someone who commands their employees. They’re the people who give orders to people without a single care about their well-being. As long as their work is done, then they are satisfied. It doesn’t matter to them what an employee feels. All they would care about is their contribution to the team.
However, a leader is someone who not only cares about the effort each member makes, but also their mental health, their well-being, the problems they’re facing, and their members as a whole. Leaders are the ones who inspire, encourage, support and care for their members. They treat their members as if they are part of a family; their entire group is one big family.
Every leader should reflect upon this fact. Depending on how you treat your members, are you a boss or a leader? If you’re a leader, keep up the good job. If you’re a boss, strive to become a leader.
Effect on the group
It’s common sense to say that leaders have better qualities than bosses. Well, if that’s the case, why do bosses still exist, then? Some bosses only really care about their company’s status. They think that each employee can be replaced with just a blink of an eye. They don’t care who to have in their team, as long as progress is made for the company’s success.
If the person leading a group is a leader, the workforce is dramatically increased, giving their members a better experience and attitude towards their work. Because of the inspiration and motivation a leader gives, they are more likely to be encouraged to work harder every day.
Social Opinions
Every member has talked about their leaders without them knowing. Let’s not lie to ourselves, we’ve all done it before. It’s just a topic every member from the same group can relate to and talk about. As their leader, you’d want to have them talk about you in a positive way. You shouldn’t let them see anything that can ruin your reputation as much as possible.
The manner in which they talk about you will have a big effect on how they see you. Your reputation can be altered depending on how you treat them, so always treat everyone with the best attitude that you have equally.
Showing them why you deserve to be their leader
Just like Thor’s Mjolnir, leadership is given to those who are worthy of possessing such power. Since a lot of people within a group possess a lot of qualities that might make them a leader, only one of them will be picked to lead the rest. There might be a rivalry between those who aspire to become the leader. This is the time when the members might vote to equally elect who they want to be their leader. The person with the most votes will be elected as the leader.
Now, this is the moment when a leader has to prove that they are worthy of their position. They should make sure that their members have made the correct decision of having you there to be the mind of the group.
Actions speak louder than words
As mentioned before, a leader should always be there to motivate their members. They should say a lot of positive things that’ll encourage them to work harder than they previously can. However, demonstrating how well you do your job, how focused you are on reaching your goals, and how you don’t let the negativity get to you is better than telling them about it.
Everyone knows how easy it is to say things, but it’s hard to actually do them. A leader should, as Naruto would say, “Never go back on their word.”. A leader should inspire, not just by words of wisdom, but also as an example.
Management is focused on persuading their members to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.
Possessing the correct qualities
I know there’s a huge number of qualities each leader has. The more positive qualities they possess, the better leaders they will be. Defining the different qualities of a leader will be all for nothing if a leader doesn’t have them. Every leader should always do their tasks to the best of their abilities so members, just by looking at you, can be motivated to copy your attitude.
It’s also worth mentioning that leaders should try their best to hide their negative qualities. They should be a brilliant example who manifests their skills brightly, instead of showing of their negativity to others.
Thinks about the group more than themselves
A great leader should always put their members as their number one priority, not themselves. They care more about how well their members are doing their jobs and help them in any way that they could.
Sure, there will be times when a leader’s patience can be drawn back depending on how a member responds. A bad leader would use their member’s problems as an excuse to lose their patience. A good leader would use their member’s problems as an exercise to keep their patience long and steady. The way a leader helps their members cope with the problem causes satisfaction, especially if their help works. The satisfaction they receive is enough to make them feel accomplished and their patience is boosted.
Replacing bad leaders with good ones
There will be that ultimate decision when leaders will have to pass their position to other members, whether they voluntarily step down or the members open up about it. Either way, if a leader is unable to perform their responsibilities well, it’s better for the entire team to elect a new leader.
Effect on the replaced leader and the struggle for acceptance
Of course, for the first few days, the leader might feel sad or even betrayed, especially if the members requested to replace them. A lot of self-doubt and pain may play their part in this situation, but every leader should be able to why they were replaced.
If the leader is the one pulling the entire team down from reaching success, that’s a valid point of replacing the leader. If the leader is unable to fulfill all their duties, the workforce of the entire team can be dramatically affected. It’s toxic for the group to have an irresponsible leader. If you’re a leader and your members decided to replace you, just know that they have their reason.
Would you prefer your team to fail because of you? Or would you rather see your team reach success with another leader?
It’s going to be a tough process to go through, but a leader should be able to understand. A replaced leader should avoid any drama to circulate around the members, especially if that leader has displayed too much negativity. Use this opportunity as a stepping stone to start proving to your members that you’re worthy of being their leader. How? By accepting you were wrong and you’re ready to improve yourself for the betterment of everyone’s sake, and the team.
Just know that a second chance will come when a replaced leader is ready. When that time comes, they should do their best not to lose their position again by avoiding their mistakes in the past.
Benefits and improvement for the members
With a new and more responsible leader stepping into their duties, a lot of improvement is imminent for the group. Progress will be boosted and the entire team will experience fewer problems in the future. This all depends if the new leader is able to fulfill the responsibilities the old one wasn’t.
For some of the members, they might gain a lot of encouragement and inspiration to work harder on their jobs because the leader was replaced. Finally, they are able to find someone who’d inspire them to be a better member, as well as becoming a primary example to them.
