Hey there! Take a moment to think about the best boss you ever had. What made them stand out? Did they always put others before themselves? Or did they create a safe environment for everyone they worked with? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to become a leader like that, but you just can’t figure out what made that boss stand out! Well, in this video we will take a look at 15 signs of an inspiring leader, plus how you can also become one! Sounds like a good deal? Let’s get right to it! If you don’t feel like reading the article here’s the video version:
1
They Want To Change How The World Works
Let’s try something interesting; think of every inspiring leader you know, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, or Steve Jobs. What made these leaders different from every other leader?
They wanted to change how the world worked! Great leaders aren’t usually comfortable with the status quo.
They question assumptions, they challenge the way of life they’ve always known. They do this because this is the only way they can change the world and make it better for the people in it!
Inspiring leaders are pushed by the belief that one person can change the world, and that person can be you, as long as you are willing to put in the work!
2
They Have A Vision And Are Able To Implement It
What do you think would happen if we all lived without a vision? We would all have no direction and it would affect the quality of our lives. Great leaders know this, which is why they always define their lives by a simple, yet strong vision.
Martin Luther King had a vision to end the oppression of black people in the United States, and he made sure that everything he did revolved around this vision.
Having a vision isn’t enough for a great leader, they have to be willing and able to implement it! What good will your visions be if you had no means to make them a reality? Great leaders adopt visions because they give them a sense of direction, and they act as guides when the going gets tough.
3
They Can Make Others See The Greatness In Themselves
Nobody can become a great leader without the help of other people! Come to think of it, how ridiculous would the role of a president be if he had no subjects to govern?
But before a leader can create a team that understands their vision, they first have to make these individuals see the greatness in themselves.
Let’s look at it this way: a person who doesn’t believe in their skills and abilities will find it difficult to commit to a cause.
Not only will this person continually feel out of place, this individual would naturally underperform due to a wrong mental assessment of their abilities.
Now, there are two possible options for leaders in this scenario; a leader could choose to boot this person out of the team – or they could choose to help this person see the greatness buried inside of them! And that is what makes a great leader!
An inspiring leader hardly gives up on their team members, instead they identify the problem and help this person see beyond the wall of mediocrity they have built around themselves.
4
They See The Talent In Others
In the same vein, great leaders can help their followers discover their hidden talents! Usually, most inspiring leaders are exceptionally good at reading and understanding people.
From just a single conversation, they can determine your basic strengths and weaknesses, and decipher what it is that you’d be good at. So, stop pushing the narrative that you do not have any talent, you just might need a great leader to help you see it!
5
They Listen When Others Talk
It can be tempting to want to speak all the time as a leader, come on, who’s going to stop you anyway? But a good leader knows that there’s time for talking, and there’s also time for listening. Listening helps a leader assess the situation of their team members; are there grievances that need to be attended to?
Are there new ideas to implement? Are there suggestions relating to a previous or current current? A great leader knows that listening is usually an opportunity to get constructive feedback, and equally a chance to give others an opportunity to express themselves! We must also remember that listening goes beyond just hearing a person talk; it involves paying close attention and making sure you get the intended message from the speaker.
6
They Make Themselves Vulnerable
Brene Brown, shame-researcher, author and famous TEDx speaker once said, “Vulnerability is the best measure of courage.” She further explains that it is having the courage to show up even when you can’t control the situation.
And that is a quality of every great leader. Great leaders don’t cower and hide in fear in difficult times, instead they appear, they put themselves in the spotlight no matter how difficult it might be for them.
Being vulnerable means a leader isn’t afraid to show their weaknesses, nor are they scared of being seen as human. Being vulnerable doesn’t mean that a leader is weak, it shows that they are in fact authentic and easy to connect with.
7
They Inspire Others To Make A Change
Great leaders don’t go around telling other people to make a change; they simply use their lives as a source of inspiration to them! William Arthur Ward said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
Great leaders use their lives as some sort of example to others, and it goes even beyond this; they also create an environment where people can easily grow and adapt, while offering them the right amount of support. A poor leader is the one who tells others to make a change, while his life reflects the direct opposite.
8
They Turn Other People Into Leaders
How to identify a great leader? They always try to turn other people into leaders also. Inspiring leaders understand that it isn’t enough that they are leading, they have to also prepare new leaders for the future.
They wouldn’t be around forever, so wouldn’t it be wise to start training the younger generation into leaders also? Leaders of this calibre also try to infuse leadership qualities in every person, regardless of their position. This is largely because the future is very uncertain, and anyone could be put into a leadership position someday.
9
They Offer Constructive Feedback and Criticism
If you’ve ever met a leader who criticises their team members openly and rashly, without regard for how they will feel, there’s no doubt this person is a poor leader. Inspiring leaders know how important criticism is; it is vital for growth, but if communicated the wrong way, it could have a totally negative effect on the person it is aimed at!
Most good leaders prefer to offer criticism in private, and they always strive to make others see that criticism isn’t to undermine their abilities or talents, but help them become better at it!
When others are scared of making errors because of how you might react as a leader, then you have to become better at giving feedback!
10
They Are Self-Aware of Their Strengths and Weaknesses
Every great leader knows they aren’t perfect, in fact they are just like everyone else with unique strengths and weaknesses. But what makes inspiring leaders different is not just a knowledge of these strengths and weaknesses, but also the fact that they are always conscious of them!
Being constantly conscious of your strengths and weaknesses can be likened to being self-aware all the time. It means being conscious of your values, habits, personality traits, and emotions, and how these factors affect your behaviour and that of others.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses also shows you when you need to take things by the horn, and when you need to delegate to others!
11
They Know How To Sell Their Vision
It’s not enough to have a vision you can implement, you have to be able to sell this vision to other people! Did you know that everyone who chose to follow a certain leader didn’t start out believing in their vision? That’s right!
As we mentioned earlier, a great leader understands that they cannot completely do things on their own! They need people who will believe in their vision as much as they do, people who will go the extra mile in making that vision a success.
But for this to happen, a leader must sell this vision to others, making them see why it is important that they believe in it!
12
They Are Mentors
Great leaders are always knowledgeable, so it makes sense that they’d be even better mentors! At first, it might seem like mentoring is primarily beneficial to the mentees. However, mentors also have a lot to gain from mentoring opportunities!
For starters, mentoring can provide some sort of personal fulfilment for leaders, as it is an active process of passing on knowledge to somebody else! It even becomes more fulfilling when this mentee goes ahead to become a successful leader in their chosen field!
13
They Work In the Open for Everyone To See
We know how scary it can be to work in the open; everyone would see your mistakes, and you are usually under more pressure to succeed. But have you ever considered the positive effects of building in public?
For great leaders, the possibilities are endless! First and foremost, this makes it easier for your followers to collaborate on projects.
It also gives them an opportunity to learn from watching you as a leader! We know what’s on your mind; wouldn’t it suck when a leader fails, or makes mistakes?
Well, that’s the entire point! Working in the open for everyone to see will remind your followers that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them, and failure necessarily isn’t the end of the road.
14
They Know How To Handle Conflicts
Conflicts will always arise no matter what, and a great leader sure knows how to handle them! The key to handling conflict is a simple yet complex one: never take sides even if the person at fault is obvious!
Also, good leaders make sure they listen to both sides without bias, and they pass judgement or settle disputes without regard for personal relationships.
If a leader allows their personal relationships with their followers to cloud their judgement, it’s only a matter of time before factions grow in their team, and unity is thrown out the window!
15
They Pay Themselves Last
We know what this sounds like, paying yourself last, that is being selfless to the point that your own needs come last. Isn’t that some kind of a stretch?
Well, great leaders really don’t mind. Inspiring leaders know that great things don’t come from being selfish, but rather from giving all of yourself to a particular cause.
Choosing selflessness will cause your followers to develop a certain level of loyalty and trust for you as a leader, and the challenges you face as a result of putting yourself last can help you discover answers or solutions.
And there you have it! 15 interesting qualities of an inspiring leader! Did any of these signs reflect who you are as a person? If yes, you are on your path to becoming an iconic leader! No? Now is your chance to start making changes as a leader! Did you watch this video up to this point? You know how we do it; it’s an extra number for you!
16
They Pull Everyone Together
Leaders are the thread that holds every member of the team together; they know everybody’s name, their strengths and weaknesses, passions, talents, and skills. They are the beacon of hope when things get dark and difficult. They are the anchors when tough times come knocking.
And most importantly, an inspiring leader doesn’t complain because they know that being responsible for everyone else is simply part of the job. Thank you for spending some time with us today, we are so glad you did! If you found value in today’s video, please give us a like! Hit the bell icon to never miss an upload, and don’t forget to subscribe!
