There are many ways to define leadership, and it is an ever-changing skill that no one will ever fully master. There is always room for improvement when it comes to leadership. One reason no one person can ever fully master leadership is because at the end of the day leadership is always all about the people you are influencing. That’s right influencing. Leadership can be formal with a clear title and authority from being in a high-ranking position within an organization. However, before reaching a position of authority, there are many leadership opportunities to influence those around you. One might even argue, that until you can demonstrate good leadership through influence on your peers, you should not take a role in a formal leadership position. In many areas, leadership is a buzzword, but many forget that leadership is a skill than should be practiced to improve, and not everyone is cut out for leading.

“Leadership requires sacrifice, that means giving away the credit when things go well and taking the blame when things go poorly.”

-Simon Sinek

              So, if you are willing to give up the credit and take the blame, how should you start emerging as a leader?

Influence

              First, start within your current peer group. Exert influence on those around you. Be a positive influence working toward top leadership’s goals. Take your role seriously, set a tone of professionalism. Learn from the formal leadership within your organization. If something doesn’t make sense, instead of undermining formal leadership by talking about it with your peers, formulate some questions and ask! If you don’t know something, ask, but also retain that information. Take notes if needed. And as long as we are talking about making notes, let’s talk about education and certifications.

Credibility

              Your credibility as a leader is something to be taken seriously. Obtaining education and credentials relevant to your position is the key foundation to you knowledge and understanding of your current role and what is going to propel you into a formal leadership role. With that said, your foundation of knowledge, should be ever increasing. The learning doesn’t stop just because classes are over. You should be learning from you formal leaders as well as your peer around you. Learn lessons from their experiences and listen to the whys when they are sharing their way of doing something.         

              Speaking of experiences, your knowledge base is going to be top heavy if your full of knowledge and no experience. Little to no experience will make you a very theoretical leader. As we know our theories, don’t always equate to reality and many things are very situationally based. So, jump in and do something every chance you get! Real experience can teach you exponentially more than any degree or certificate course.

People

              Now that you have the education, knowledge and experience, we did say leadership was all about the people. So, what about the people. Understanding communication is something that is going to help you be a good leader of a team. First, understanding your own communication is key. What do your mannerisms and body language emanate? Understanding how you are naturally perceived can help you dial in to present yourself how you want to be perceived. Beyond that, understanding how those under your leadership are communicate can help you speak their language and engage them toward the greater goal. Some personality types are going to be outgoing and confident. These people are often seeking leadership and need to be aligned toward the common goal. Others may be meeker, more mild and maybe even more creative. It is important as a leader to save a space for those people to be heard. Sometimes, the more creative thinkers can come up with the best solutions to larger problems an organization faces.

              As you become higher up in a leadership role, and more confident in yourself. Improving on your leadership style, is more than just understanding yourself and those around you, but actually soliciting honest feedback. Again, ask your superiors, peers, and subordinates for honest feedback. What could you do better? What do you do well? What do they wish you would stop doing? It is important not to take this too much to heart. You know your style and what will best suite your role. However, asking these questions and honestly evaluating the feedback introspectively can help you adjust to those around you. But remember, you will never please everyone and you will always have room for improvement.

Values

              A big part of what will make a fit leader, is someone who has values and sticks to them. Values dictate your standard of behavior. A good exercise for any aspiring leader would be to write out your values on a piece of paper and evaluate what your top 5 values would be and give real consideration as to what it means to live by those values. Integrity and honesty along with respect are examples of key values many good leaders share and live by. Heavy R Training also values teamwork, humility, serving others, and keeping God above all else. What are your core values and how would those be exemplified through leadership?

              In conclusion, everyone has the capacity to be a leader, but not everyone is willing to put in the work to be a good leader. Leadership starts at the lowest level of any organization. Those aspiring to obtain a formal leadership role should always be learning, looking to gain new experiences, serving those in their charge, and following a strong set of values.