Life long Leadership: Getting Started

Leadership is a skill that is necessary in almost every aspect of professional and personal life. It is something that shows our confidence, and our ability to do things. Most of us think that leaders are the amazing breed of humans that do things differently, think of things differently, and live a life we cannot imagine. However, leadership is not something that is unattainable. It’s not rocket science (though many people do rocket science :P). It’s not a trait people are born with, it is something that comes with practice, and commitment. From taking a small initiative, to doing things that can change the world, all leaders do, are find a vision, and commit themselves towards achieving it. It is an art that can be learned and practiced through dedication and commitment. Everyone can be a leader.

There is no such hard-and-fast rule of learning leadership. There is no formula of becoming a leader. But we can learn from the already established world leaders. By learning what their process of becoming a leader was, we can make our process better. Because aren’t we all in the process of becoming something? So why not be a leader?

Through this article, I have tried to highlight the most common practices of leadership that can assist us on the journey of becoming a great leader.

According to the book “The Truth about Leadership”, there are five most common practices that leaders engage in while accomplishing extraordinary things. Let’s dig deeper into what those five practices are:

Modeling the way

Exemplary leaders know that if they want commitment from their team, they need to be the models first. In order to model the way, a leader must be able to identify the core values.
Values are beliefs that serve as guides for any actions. Aligning the values and performing actions accordingly sets an example for the people who look up to you.

Modeling the way is essential because people follow a leader’s actions before following a plan.

Inspiring a shared vision

A vision helps to set a goal. A shared vision is vital in bringing people together for a common goal.

Inspiring a shared vision can be accomplished by envisioning the future and enlisting others. A leader must be able to determine the new heights the team can attain after achieving a goal. Every team members must realize what they are working for and be aligned with it. Understanding the goal of doing certain things is essential for motivation.

Challenging the Process

Challenging the process simply means changing or improving the status quo. It demonstrates the fact that an exemplary leader is continuously trying to innovate, experiment, and take risks.

Leaders do not question themselves or their team; they question the ideas and doubt the default. — Grant (2019)

Challenging the traditions and bringing new ideas help leaders and their teams to innovate and seek creative and new ways to improve.

Enabling others to act

Leadership is a team effort. An exemplary leader fosters collaboration and builds trust to enable others to act. S/he frequently uses the term “We” rather than “I”. Fostering teamwork and sharing the accomplishments are the two most common ways a leader enables others. By sharing a vision and making it possible for others to act, a leader expects good results, and shares shares all wins and losses with the team, so that there is sense of ownership for everyone.

Through enabling others to act, experiment, and change the process, a good leader creates leaders.

Encouraging the heart

Tremendous achievements come through hard work and much determination. It is not easy to stay motivated and determined all the time. When an effort fails, it is more difficult to stay intact and work harder. One of the most critical actions of a leader is to motivate and encourage others. Keeping the pace going and making everyone in the team feel accomplished even in a difficult situation.

An exemplary leader encourages the heart by recognizing the efforts of the team members and celebrating the victories and values.

Ending Notes

Let me repeat again, leadership is not an in-born trait, it comes with practice and determination. Through small steps we can take a bigger leap, and I hope these small steps can help you become a leader in your area of life.