“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”.
(John Quincy Adams)
To be a leader isn’t something easy. The responsibilities of the management position are a lot and you are judged by anyone for your professionalism. The salary is bigger than others, but you have to prove that you are worth it. Leadership is a trap which you have to overcome with a smart way and to accomplish the assigned job.
There are some tips that a leader must follow to be distinguished from the other team members. First of all, the level of knowledge is necessary to become an expert. As John Maxwell said: “Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way”. Secondly, a leader must have confidence and responsibility. It is pretty sure that it will be something unknown, something that maybe isn’t predictable. But, it is very important the way of how leaders will face it, especially for other employees.
Leaders must inspire loyalty, trust and respect even though they make mistakes. They must listen the opinion of team members and if they disagree with them, leaders must take responsibility and honestly explain them or let them know the causes of believing something different and of taking different decisions.
Moreover, leaders are led by their vision. They have an idea and they must make this idea true with their abilities. This fact cannot happen without the proper staff, so they have to treat well and be kind with each member of their team. Workers are the persons who translate the leader’s vision into reality, so they must collect positive attitude from their “head manager”. They must be inspired, motivated and guided from leaders who can develop the productivity and creativity. Also, team members need support and encouragement and leaders have to focus on team interests and needs.
All of us work better, if we enjoy what we are doing.
So, leaders must find out the part that workers enjoy doing most and communicate and customize their each ability, so that the vision will be successful.
In conclusion, leadership has advantages and disadvantages. The success of a leader depends on a vision and on an inspiring way which will be expressed on a team. There is no leader without a team and there is not a team without a leader. A lot of minds think better than one, but there is always a person who is needed to become the chief and who will guide them on success.
And that person is called “LEADER”.
Ελένη Κωτίδη
