We often think of leaders as those who lead people and inspire them to follow their example. But good leadership isn’t about having people follow you. Instead, it is about creating more leaders in the process.
Leadership should be viewed as an opportunity to nurture others, not just to tell them what they should do or how they should act. Leadership isn’t just about providing direction. It’s also about empowering others to take action and decide for themselves.
Leaders inspire
The best leaders understand the value of inspiring and helping others take ownership of their success. This means that instead of telling someone what to do, a leader will encourage team members to identify solutions on their own and act on them with confidence.
Leaders value lessons
Good leaders don’t expect perfection from their team members but rather reward success by fostering an environment where failure is accepted as part of the learning process. Creating an environment where mistakes are encouraged so long as valuable lessons are learned allows team members to become more engaged in their roles and take ownership of their results.
Leaders mentor
Any leader needs to focus on developing people into better versions of themselves than before they joined the organization or cause. A leader who can mentor and develop successful teams of people is much more valuable than one who only gets results by intimidating or coercing followers into compliance.
Leaders invest in development
Authentic leadership doesn’t come from commanding or manipulating people into following orders; it comes from inspiring others to become independent-minded problem solvers capable of leading themselves while contributing positively to the organization or cause. By investing in the growth and development of individuals within your team, you create a more substantial base for the entire organization that will yield tremendous success in the future.
Dana Gordon 