Some people are natural born leaders. They tend to have a certain charisma that draws people in. They are outgoing, confident, and decisive. They naturally take charge in situations. You are likely already thinking about people who are described in this way. You may have worked with some, or you may have historic leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or Martin Luther King Jr. in mind.
Is it possible to be a leader, even if you don’t have that clear confidence, or you don’t feel like you could ever be a George Washington? The answer is yes; anyone can learn to lead. The trick is to find your leadership style and hone it in a way that is natural and beneficial to you and your team.
Leadership brings a team together to achieve a common goal. It’s that simple. All it takes is figuring out how your strengths can make that happen. Here are 4 ways to hone your skills so you can learn to be a leader.
Get familiar with your strengths and weaknesses
While those natural leaders often have confidence and an outgoing personality, you likely have skills that make you just as much a leader. Think about what draws people to you. Are you an empathetic listener? Are you good at solving conflict? Are people inspired by your vision? That’s a great place to start paying attention so you can build your leadership skills from there.
Next, start looking for ways to grow and improve your skills. When you focus on improving your weaknesses and not hiding them, you’re demonstrating a growth mindset. Leaders need that kind of resilience, and the more you embrace those areas and find ways to deliberately learn from the challenge, the more capable you’ll be as a leader. And you’ll be modeling outstanding behaviors for your team at the same time.
Identify and hone your leadership style
Even if you don’t feel like a leader yet, the way you would interact as a leader exists in a common form of leadership style. That’s why knowing your strengths and weaknesses is so beneficial. Whether you’re a visionary who can excite people about the future or a coach who can nurture those around you, there are both pros and cons to the different styles of leadership. You need to learn how to make the style work for you, and how to watch for issues that may arise.
Focus on self-awareness to ensure you can combat any issues in your leadership style. Hold yourself accountable so you lead at your best and be willing to learn. It will go a long way toward developing a style that works in your business.
Make a game plan
Whether you’re ready for leadership or vying for a new role, you need a plan to help you get there. Start by identifying a problem you’d like to solve. What kind of difference would you like to make? Perhaps you’ve discovered some areas team members could use additional education. Maybe you’ve found ways to streamline productivity in the office. Or maybe you’ve found that your team members need accolades. If you can help solve this problem, having a plan in place can make it happen.
Be sure to set metrics for the goal you’re setting. Hold yourself accountable to your team members, checking in with them regularly to see how things are going. Ask for advice and insights along the way. And then report back to your team and management. The more they see the results of your work, the more you’ll find you have the support of a team who knows you have what it takes to make things happen successfully.
Work to inspire and motivate
One of the easiest ways to learn to be a leader is by inspiring those around you and encouraging them to follow a vision. The goal here is to act as a role model for your team. When they see you fully inspired and achieving a goal, they will be more motivated to follow along.
You may want to consider finding a mentor who can empower you as well. Mentors are great for demonstrating how they’ve grown as leaders. They can show you how they’ve tackled challenges, overcome setbacks, and grown as leaders themselves. And it’s always good to have an experienced professional on your side who can help you see things you’re overlooking. Mentors also model those behaviors so you can see first-hand how great leadership happens.
The bottom line
Anyone can be a leader with hard work and the willingness to do better. Do you have insights into what you believe it takes to be a great leader? Share them in the comments below.
Jim Allen is a business leader and entrepreneur who has built one of the top-producing real estate groups in the Triangle. He is President of The Jim Allen Group, which is consistently named one of the top real estate teams in North Carolina and even North America.