Leadership will never just ‘happen’. It is a state of mind and a way of acting in the world. Simply working hard and growing older will not guarantee that the opportunities and skills will just come to you. In other words, you need to actively grow into a leader instead of passively hoping that life will be kind to you.
Definition of Leadership
Some of us will be in the right place at the right time – your chance may come as you shuffle up the hierarchy and into a leadership role. But getting promoted doesn’t make you an instant leader. This is just the beginning of your journey – a chance to realize your potential.
This even applies if you are the CEO of a company – you may be a ‘boss’ but you may not be a ‘leader’.
Begin Your Leadership Journey
Being a leader is about inspiring others to join you in pursuit of the same goals. Remember that leadership skills can be practised anywhere at any time, regardless of your official status. Be a leader at home, at school, at work – it’s a way of life.
As the CEO of Lifehack, I’ve been taking the leadership journey – and I’ve gathered together into one handy guide some of the most useful tips for all aspiring leaders.
1. Positivity Is at the Core of Leadership
- Staying Positive as a Leader: Leaders lead in good times and bad. Throughout life you will experience many ups and downs. Strength is accepting this, and knowing how to weather any storm that comes your way.
- You Can Never Taste the True Value If You Give up Too Early: Leaders understand that instant results are impossible – here’s how to not give up when things are difficult.
- Stay Passionate When It Feels Like Suffering: Leaders are willing to suffer for a better future for all.
- Handle Stress as a Smart Leader: Leaders embrace negativity and balance it out with positivity.
- Tackle Difficult Problems Positively: Leaders actively look for solutions instead of looking for someone to blame.
2. Confidence Comes from Within
Only a fraction of people are blessed with natural confidence – luckily, for the rest of us, it can also be built. Don’t draw confidence from the external world because it’s unreliable and ever-changing. Instead.
- Build Self Confidence From Scratch: Leaders build confidence by overcoming challenges and learning from their experiences.
- Stop Letting Envy Drain Your Confidence: Leaders don’t compare themselves with others but instead they focus on themselves.
3. Learning Is Everything
- Discover Skills and Knowledge Out of the Comfort Zone: Leaders never stop learning things that take them out of their comfort zone.
- 100 Productivity Books Summarized In the Best 15 Tips: Leaders read a lot. Here are 100 great books they often turn to, summarised into one article.
- Put Knowledge Into Practice: Leaders take their knowledge and apply it to their work and life.
4. Mistakes Are Nothing
- Make The Most Mistakes: Leaders do not shy away from taking actions that may be in error. They take risks and make controllable mistakes – from this they learn and grow.
- Master Making Mistakes: Leaders can handle mistakes because they excel at resilience.
5. Criticism is Opportunity
- Take and Utilize Feedback to Improve: Leaders accept – and even encourage – feedback. Criticism can be used to help you learn and grow.
6. Capitalizing Strengths
- Pick the Right Battlefield for the Biggest Leverage: Leaders recognize that time is a limited resource. So the best things to focus our energies on are things that give the biggest leverage. Developing strengths is more effective than fixing weaknesses. A leader will always address any weakness that’s holding them back – but not without capitalizing on their strengths first.
7. Selling Visions
- Sales Skills Turn You From Good To Great: Leaders sell visions and goals to those they lead and to their target clients. So brush up on some key sales skills here to convince others that your dreams are worth pursuing.
- A Presentation That Will Impress Everyone: Leaders are storytellers – they know that a compelling narrative can inspire others to accept their ideas. So learn how your presentation skills make all the difference when you want others to get on board with your dream.
8. Every Second Counts
- Prioritize on What Matters and Worth Spending Time On: Leaders seize every moment for things that contribute to their goals.
- Not Waiting For Better Timing: Leaders don’t wait passively for the right moment, but instead use the time available to create their own opportunities.
9. A Disciplined Life to Stay on Top Form
- Morning Routine to Stay Sharp Every Day: Leaders live a disciplined life in order to always be at peak performance. This discipline begins right from the moment they wake up. A morning routine allows them to keep their brain sharp every day.
- Rituals that Guarantee A Good Night Sleep: Leaders are no strangers to the reality of stress. But they know that balancing an active and energetic life with enough sleep is essential).
True Leadership Takes Time
Becoming a leader is not easy. That’s the beauty of it – everyone could learn to be a leader, but not everyone believes it or actually takes action. If you put in the time and effort, you can reach the top first – and then help others rise up too.
Go out there and be the leader you’ve always meant to be!
Featured photo credit: Nick Fewings via unsplash.com
