“If you consider yourself to be a leader and you don’t have followers, you are simply a person out taking a walk”
Following the chapter “People Leave Managers, Not Companies,” we examine the fundamental importance and challenges of a manager’s role from the book The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World by Victor Lipman, who explains why employees leave their leaders. Therefore, the question is what makes good leaders who can have highly energetic, devoted and committed employees surround them
I was lucky to work and connect with many different leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. Moreover, I have been building a youth community — UEH Connected — which attracts more than 5000 members with a variety of backgrounds around the world and a team of 12 volunteers from different countries. These experiences lead me to eventually realizing what makes them good leaders:
1. Visions, beliefs, and inspiration
Vision is like the light, which attracts many things around it. A person with a broad and strategic vision can attract many people around him/her to go with him/her on the way. Simon Sinek found the golden circle, which has three layers:
- Why – This is the core belief of the business. It’s why the business exists.
- How – This is how the business fulfills that core belief.
- What – This is what the company does to fulfill that core belief.
Most people neglect the “why” – the vision – core belief which inspires their member, so they do not really connect and attracts followers. This leads to misunderstand and quit from the followers.
Also read: In the age of millennials, true leadership means leading without a title
Good leaders know really well which way they should go and draw it for his/her people to follow. John Maxwell, says, “If you consider yourself to be a leader and you don’t have followers, you are simply a person out taking a walk.”
2. Observing, listening, and understanding
Good leaders also get their followers ready for leadership before they really do. All of us at one time or another have looked at a leader’s work and said, “Well, I can do that.” Of course, we may not have known all that “that” entailed. Then, give people chances to take on leadership roles and temporary supervisory opportunities to see how they react. Observe where they do well and where they struggle to fulfill their tasks.
The sense of observation helps a leader to find out what is happening around him or her or their partners, which leads to better conversations. Moreover, most people listen to reply, but not many people listen to sympathize and understand the issue. They listen but then put their ego and subjective ears to react rather than understand the real issues raised.
One example, when I met one of my employees in my office, she said that she wanted to quit and explained that she wanted to find the new hire herself. I asked her why she took the decision so quickly without asking her supervisor and if there was anything I can do to support her here in the company to better herself.
I asked her a lot of questions, because I sensed that she really loves the company and my vision to build the international environment for the team in Vietnam. Then finally, she told me that she did not want to work with her supervisor who had bad bias about her, rejected all of her ideas, and seemed to not appreciate her work. If I had not sensed that through her eyes, voice and breath, I would lose one of my best employees/partners.
3. Self-awareness
From the ancient Greek Aphorism “know thyself” to the western psychology, it is understood as self-awareness.
Self awareness is having a clear perception of your personality and values, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, habits, beliefs, needs, motivation, and emotions. Self Awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them.
Also read: Time to face the truth: 5 signs you are not leadership material
This is the point that most people fail to achieve. As a leader, you should study about self-awareness carefully. This allows you to motivate yourself and manage stress better, help you in their intuitive decision making, and help lead and motivate others more effectively.
Self-awareness is developed through practices focusing your attention on the details of your personality and behaviors.
This cannot be learned from reading books or attending seminars. When you read a book or attend a conference, you are focusing your attention on the conceptual ideas in the book or message from the speaker, not on yourself.
4. Ability to be a coach or guide (expectation & results)
A good leader is the one who knows exactly what he/she wants and knows how to guide their people. Before each assignment, they always spend plenty of time making sure that the employees understand the goal of the task, the expectation and the expected result quite carefully. For example, Mr. Rick Yvanovich from TRG International asks his staff to repeat their assignment description to him everytime he gives them something and guides them how to achieve the tasks successfully.
Good leaders tell team members that if they have strengths they’d like to develop; you’re willing to support them. This encouragement may motivate employees to actively discover their strengths and do what they need to develop their professional skills.
5. Opportunity-building for team members
Instead of waiting for team members to come to the leaders, good leaders approach the team members. Let them know what qualities you see in them, and make sure that they’re willing to build on these strengths for a specific type of career path by sending them to courses or training programs.
Good leaders always create chances for the team members to raise their voice and have their own responsibilities. They are willing to share opportunities to their team to prove their capacity.
Practice all these things will prepare you to be the best leader in the future.
Good luck.
—-
Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.
Featured Image Copyright: enskanto / 123RF Stock Photo
The post Here are 5 things that make a good leader appeared first on e27.