What Is a Leader?

Do you often think about the question: what is a leader, and what makes a leadership successful? If yes, you have landed on the right page. 

A leader is much more than a manager of a team. They are responsible to hold the employees together, while keeping them motivated to achieve a certain goal. Similarly, leadership is an art to guide, coach, direct and inspire people to grab great opportunities, and see themselves grow.

Leadership requires lots of hardwork and commitment. So, if you are ready to take this challenge, this article will explore the basics of leadership to help you start with a strong foundation. Plus, find different steps you can take to finally be known as a leader. 

What Is a Leader?

You may have often heard Warren Buffett or Bill Gates guiding people to follow a certain path and reach a goal within a desired time in their speeches and interviews. Does that make you think what makes them this great, and why do people listen to what they say?

These people are leaders with certain characteristics and traits, making them who they are. 

A leader is a person who aims to inspire people and motivate them towards a goal. They also have a vision and a passion to reach a certain destination. 

Some common characteristics of a leader include:

• Supporting their team members

• Providing the employees with the right tools

• Pushing people forward to bypass all hurdles in their journey

• Mentoring team members to perform better

It may take days, sometimes years, to be recognised as a good leader, depending on how much effort you put in. 

An effective leader owns a shared vision that aligns with core values. They also understand the right way to achieve final goals while managing, inspiring, and supporting their team to work together and grab every great opportunity that crosses their path. 

A leader’s work never ends. Even if your team has achieved all goals, you, as a leader, must keep motivating and inspiring them for their long-term progress. 

To put it simply, a leader is the captain of the ship, making all the important decisions while keeping the team inspired and motivated to reach the final destination. If you aim to become one, you need to develop an influencing power that guides your team to steer the ship in the right direction. 

What Does a Great Leader Look Like?

All leaders share a certain set of values that make them who they are. Here are some common qualities that make a good leader:

Vision

Every leader has a vision, a roadmap that helps them take the right route, plan their strategy, and reach their goals. Anyone who aspires to become a leader must have the ability to look at the bigger picture. 

Vision helps leaders motivate their people to work toward the end goal and achieve exceptional results.

Purpose

As a leader, you must have a purpose in mind and know how to communicate it to your team members. 

This is important as it allows your employees to take an equal part in day-to-day processes and feel empowered in making the change. As a result, they feel involved and motivated to put in their best efforts. 

Integrity and Charisma

Leaders have a certain charisma that attracts people to follow their lead and path. They have magnetic personalities, grabbing the attention of team members and making them do what their leaders expect them to. 

Moreover, great leaders are honest with their goals and work. This is why people respect and trust them.

Empathy

Good leadership is all about empathising with your team members, listening to what they have to say, and appreciating them for their work. 

People only follow the lead of a person who gives them suitable attention, empowers them, and assesses critical concerns with an aim to provide solutions.

Creativity

Do you know what makes leaders different from managers? The latter follows a strict schedule, while the former doesn't shy away from taking bold steps and bringing creative changes to the institutions they work for. 

This is what makes them stand out. Leaders encourage their team members to question rather than follow every order as it is. 

Moreover, they bring in the concept of “imagination,” encouraging their employees to bring new out-of-the-box ideas to the table. 

If you aspire to become a leader of a team, know that you must possess these characteristics to take the crown. Besides, you should always be ready to practise your three responsibilities, regardless of any barriers.

3 Roles of a Leader

As a leader, you are the lynchpin of your institution and employees’ success. Your workforce needs your help and guidance to meet the project’s requirements or achieve a certain goal. 

The three most important roles of a leader include: 

• Communicating the Vision: To help a team reach a certain destination, a leader should know the art of communicating their vision to the right people at the right time. They should also offer guidance and direction throughout the process. 

• Coaching the Team: As a leader, you must know the correct way to coach your teams through mentoring. This can be achieved by either one-to-one meetings or group seminars. When you coach an employee, you train them to follow the required actions and ace every goal successfully. 

• Inspiring Your Employees: This is one of the most crucial roles of every leader. You can’t let people follow you without inspiring them. Unfortunately, this is often considered one of the most undervalued roles but also the hardest to practise and achieve. 

Are Leadership and Management Roles Similar?

You must have heard the words management and leadership used interchangeably in most organisations. While these positions have a lot of similarities, the differences between them are pretty visible.

Leadership is an act to inspire, coach, influence, and motivate people, convincing them to follow the guidelines. On the other hand, management involves looking after a company's operational side. It also involves performing all the related administrative duties. 

Managers don’t inspire people or empower them to make a change. In fact, most of them are not even creative. They simply follow the guidelines laid by their institution without taking any bold steps or changing the vision according to the purpose. 

A leader manages, guides, and leads their team members. They possess visionary thinking, which helps them encourage employees to get the work done within the deadline.

7 Steps to Your Leadership Journey

Congratulations on learning the basics. You are now seven steps closer to achieving your dream of becoming a leader. 

As a leader, you can lead a team of people toward a desired goal by keeping their values and abilities in perspective. You can also coach the employees to become better professionals, inspire them to achieve more and guide them to the right path. 

So, are you all geared up to take this challenge? If yes, jump right in and follow the below seven steps: 

1. Build a Vision

Develop a vision for your team and your company to have a clear perspective moving forward. Once decided, communicate it to the employees in a creative and inspiring manner. Make sure that your vision statements are as clear and achievable as possible.

2. Listen to People

Hear what your employees have to say and acknowledge their input. Give your team members the confidence to share their thoughts and take actions that make them feel valued. This is important for their motivation.

3. Solve Conflicts

Focus on resolving all the problems in your operations or among team members just as they arise. You will be considered a great leader if you know how to pull people out of their miseries.

4. Motivate Your Team

Look for ways in which you can encourage your team to explore creative ideas. If you want to be a charismatic leader, don’t shy away from trying new things, even if it has a chance of failure. A mistake can be a great teacher, after all.

5. Believe in Your Team Members

Build a confident team by believing in the potential of your employees. Show your faith in them through smiling, exhibiting a positive attitude, and continuous encouragement.

6. Lead from the Front

As a leader, you should always try to set an example by leading from the front, regardless of the situation. Instead of pushing your team to stay late at night in the office, you can work side by side and be their partner in everything.

7. Keep Looking for Improvements

Practise balance and demonstrate it wherever the opportunity arises. This means giving direct instructions where it is essential to, but also taking a back seat and letting the team handle the process at their own pace. 

FAQs

Can I Be a Leader? 

Anyone can be a leader. If you are ready to learn a few important skills and practise patience with consistency, you can coach, inspire, guide and motivate your employees. You can take the UCD Professional Academy Diploma in Leadership and Management to increase your knowledge of leadership. 

What Is the Importance of Leadership in a Company?

Leadership plays a great role in building a unified work environment and enhancing the overall morale of the team. 

Besides, you need to have a leader in your company to resolve conflicts and accelerate the entire decision-making process.  

What Are the Top Questions to Ask Any Leader?

If you want to become a future leader, it is always great to ask a few questions from people who might already be working as one. This is a healthy learning practice. You can ask about their overall leadership style, how they motivate their teams, and the way they balance their work with their personal life. 

Conclusion

If you see yourself becoming a leader, you only have to invest some time and effort to make this dream a reality. If you stay determined and focused, no one can stop you from practising leadership and making the change you always wanted. 

To achieve your goal, you can enrol in the UCD Professional Academy Diploma in Leadership and Management course. This well-designed course is perfect for all the upcoming leaders. It guides you on how to motivate teams and take your leadership skills to a high level. 

So, if you are eager to embark on your first leadership journey, check out UCD Professional Academy’s courses today, and book your favourite one right away. 

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