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Because we Felicity Seekers are focused on achieving an extraordinary life in which we master every part of it, we often grow into inspirational figures, which leads many of us to become a leader of some sort.
But we need to be careful because there are real leaders on the one hand and bosses on the other. I believe you know which one of the two gets more respect, surrounds himself with happier people, and overall achieves more success over the long term.
To make sure you know how to be a true leader when you suddenly slip into that role along your personal growth journey, I collected a few Dos and Don´ts you should be aware of.
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This list is hugely inspired by Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I used the characteristics he thinks are detrimental for leadership and did my own take on them.
I highly recommend you read Think And Grow Rich. It is a fantastic book, no matter how old it is!
And if you are interested in other highly informational books that will accelerate your personal growth journey, take a look at my Reading List For Personal Growth. I am regularly adding the newest inspiring books I’ve read.
But let’s start with our list. If you want to be a great leader, these are the things you need to master:
1. Self Control
The man who cannot control himself can never control others.
– Napoleon Hill
As a leader, you need to have a certain amount of self-control. Nobody will take you seriously if you always let anger or frustration overcome you.
You need to act rational and control your emotions. After all, if you can’t even control yourself, how are people supposed to have trust in your control of the situation?
2. Definiteness Of Decision
Leaders are decisive. They can make important decisions in a reasonable amount of time and then stick to them.
Nowadays, people tend to change their minds seemingly as often as they change their clothes. Not only does that prevent you from actually getting things done. But it also makes people mistrust you.
You cannot rely on someone who can’t stick to a decision. He is simply unpredictable. And having someone like that as a “leader” is weakening the whole group.
3. Unwavering Courage
Note the difference between courage and recklessness. Courage means you act with the knowledge of your abilities and the essential information about a particular situation. You have weighed the risk against the chance of winning.
On the other hand, recklessness is like closing your eyes and running into a battlefield without armour.
True leaders are willing to take calculated risks. They encourage their employees or followers to get outside their comfort zone, and as a result, the group has success and grows stronger.
People will never be able to trust someone reckless, and they will lose their respect from a coward.
4. Sense Of Justice
We, humans, are somewhat genetically programmed to have morals and a sense of justice. And some studies suggest the same for other animals.
So unsurprisingly, we tend to sympathise more with people who we perceive as just.
A clear sense of justice is, therefore, essential in a leader. Otherwise, people will never be able to follow him with a clear conscience.
5. Definiteness Of Plans
Just as a leader has to make clear decisions, he also has to create clear and well thought through plans and stick to them.
A plan is only as good as its execution. However, many people lose themselves in planning and never start to take action. A true leader excels at both!
6. Sympathy And Understanding
You can start to practice this in the most mundane situations. For example, when you are driving behind somebody who drives unbelievably slow.
Don’t curse him and try some stupid overtaking. Instead, show some sympathy. After all, this could be somebody who just started driving and is still a bit unsure of himself. Or maybe there is an issue with the car. Who knows?
Or if a waiter is really grumpy and unfriendly to you. Don’t start to act hostile, too. That person might be having a really shitty day.
A leader is understanding of others.
7. Doing More Than Being Paid For
A true leader knows that if he works for more than he is being paid, he will soon be paid more.
What’s also important is that a leader likes to get things done most effectively. Sometimes that may mean to work more than he strictly has to.
In the end, this work ethic will immensely inspire his followers and therefore raise the productivity and success of the whole group.
8. Willingness To Assume Full Responsibility
This one is huge! A true leader does not make up excuses for his own mistakes. But that’s something most people get. What many overlooks is that a leader also has to take full responsibility for his followers’ errors.
You might think: “Well, it ‘s not my fault that Johnny is so forgettable.”
Wrong. It is your responsibility to know your employee’s strengths and weaknesses and to organise and support them in a way that will get the best out of them.
If they succeed at something, people will congratulate you on good leadership. So if they fail at something, you have to look at yourself first and search for where you could have done better.
That’s real leadership!
9. Cooperation
A leader doesn’t let others work for him. He works with them. A leader is a master in collaboration.
He knows precisely how to work with a group of people, divide tasks and therefore achieve the best results possible.
10. A Pleasing Personality
Let’s end the list of Dos with something that should be obvious but is sadly often overlooked.
A true leader has a pleasing personality. That doesn’t mean he is mainstream and always gets along with everyone, but it means he is easy to get along with, even though you might have different opinions.
What about you? Is it easy for people to talk to you? Are there a lot of people you clash with?
To round this up, I also have collected a few things you should absolutely not do, if you want to be a true leader:
1. Unwillingness To Render Humble Services
A true leader wants to be rewarded for the actual services he provided. He is not on the get-rich-quick trip, and he doesn’t rib off people.
2. Selfishness
A leader doesn’t just care about himself; he cares for all of his followers. He would never sacrifice somebody’s well-being, physically, mentally, or financially speaking, for personal gains.
3. Emphasis Of The “Authority” Of Leadership Or Title
I think we all know that one person who so adamantly emphasizes his superiority.
In reality, however, it doesn’t matter how old you are, what gender you are, what degrees you have, or who you know. The only thing that will make others see you as a leader is when you seem deserving of it.
The list of Dos establishes what you need to be a leader; however, if you still rub your authority into other people’s faces, none of the above will be able to help you.
In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill named a few more points he deems vital for a great leader. But these are the ones that stuck out to me most.
Take some time to go through this list and analyse yourself. You might not yet be a leader, but on the path to an extraordinary life, it is very much possible that you will suddenly find yourself in that role.
And when that time comes, you will have a much easier life if you nail these points.
I hope you continue to improve yourself every single day. I am looking forward to hearing about the great things you will accomplish in the future.
Sophie
