“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” ~John Maxwell
How to Become Strong Leader
A leader is not born.
A leader is created and the whole process starts inside the most dangerous place you’ll ever encounter – your own mind.
How can you become a strong leader who inspires others, drives people toward excellence, holds people accountable, and instills a sense of trust? Learning what makes a great leader is your first step.
One of the greatest challenges of leadership is actually defining what leadership is.
There are literally thousands of books, documents, and speakers that have each defined what their view of leadership is. There are examples for corporate leadership, civic leadership, home leadership, and more. When we attempt to break down leadership, we actually make it more complicated than it is.
When we break it down to the basics…leadership is an individual achieving results through people.
In many instances you are considered a leader if you hold a particular title, exhibit a certain set of personality traits, a particular skill set, or maybe you are considered to be a born leader.
Taken separately, none of these define leadership. Just because someone is in a leadership position, DO NOT assume they actually exercise leadership. In some cases the informal leader exhibits leadership even though they aren’t in a leadership role
Here are some things you can do to become the leader you’ve always wanted to be:
1. Control yourself. Every great leader in history has had to become a master of self-discipline and willpower in order to stay focused on the big picture. If you don’t have a goal or the drive to achieve it, you can’t lead others to attain theirs.
• Follow through in everything you do. As challenging as it may be, you need to be disciplined enough to be where you need to be, when you need to be there, whether you want to or not. By being strong in your resolve and resisting temptation to give up, you are setting an example for others to live up to.
• Choose your emotional response to a situation carefully. Sometimes you’ll need to practice the art of silencing your inner thoughts when they’re not appropriate in order to set a positive example.
2. Project your goals If the people you’re leading don’t completely understand the deeper meaning in their work, they won’t share your vision or work ethic. Every step of the way, communicate with your team to make sure they’re on the same wavelength and know what you expect of them.
• Get your team involved in the planning process and the implementation of your ideas. This gives everyone a greater sense of ownership toward the end result.
3. Praise highly and criticize constructively. The way you praise and criticize others can make all the difference in being able to lead effectively.
• Make sure you publicly praise the people who do excellent work for you. You’ll give the person a sense of accomplishment and the drive to do even better.
• When someone does something wrong, offer constructive criticism and do it privately. Suggest solutions on how they can improve and take the time to answer any questions. They’ll accept your input more willingly if they know it’s done to help and not to harm.
4. Know your people. You can’t truly lead a group of people unless you truly understand their hopes, dreams, struggles, pains, and goals. All the good intentions in the world mean nothing unless you have a true sense of the people you’re working with.
• Talk to your team and get to know them. Getting to know each other on a personal level will strengthen the bond between you. They’ll want to do better for you because you’re more than just a “boss.”
• Be their leader, first, and their friend second. You’re their leader and that means that you have to make difficult decisions from time to time. These decisions cannot be affected by personal relationships.
5. Make the hard call. There are times when you have to bite the bullet and make some unpleasant decisions. Firing, demoting, and holding people accountable for their actions can be very hard at times. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to handle these matters.
Please watch the following video by John Maxwell, best selling author, and dynamic speaker on leadership and business management. Dr. John C. Maxwell is committed to developing leaders of excellence and integrity by providing the finest resources and training for personal and professional growth.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjX5SOF0X5E[/youtube]
Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, believe that you can be a strong leader. Remember that in order to lead others, you must be disciplined yourself. After all, your actions will speak louder than anything you can say.
In order to gain the respect of others, strive to lead by example in every area of your life.
When you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a true leader!
Hope you got some great value out of this post today! Please leave me a comment down below and let me know what you liked the most.
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To your success,
Marc@monitium.com
Network Marketing Coach
Serial Entreprenuer
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About Marc Korn
Marc Korn is an advocate of continuous learning. Success online and in the offline world is all about training and learning from the experts.... throughout history the common denominator among successful people has been continuing education.Marc is passionate about Network Marketing and helping others.He has learned that Network Marketing is not about recruit, recruit, recruit or sell, sell, sell...but about people.The most gratifying way to achieve success is to help others become successful first.Marc enjoys introducing people to systems and opportunities that will help them to earn additional income working from home.There is no reason why you need to learn it all by yourself. Join Marc and his Tribe mates to see how they can help you.
Hi Marc ~ Excellent post & perfect timing for me as am currently relating to #1 (and all the sub-points) in relation to moving ahead and becoming more successful with all that I do. And, as you note, I’ve always believed that true leaders are made (thru self-discipline & trial and error) rather than born or fall into a title of leadership position. One of my all-time favorite quotes is “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” I constantly remind myself of this ~ I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this topic 🙂 Christine
Hi Christine,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
I am so happy to see that you were able to relate to my post. Finding the discipline and resolve to stay focused on the “big picture” is a definite challenge and if you conquer that, you are well on your way to the success that you deserve.
Especially, with all the distractions and temptations that we are exposed to every day. I love that quote you posted.
Keep up the GREAT work.
To your massive success,
Marc
Awesome Marc !!!
Your team is lucky to have a leader like yourself, you summarized the qualities of a leader so well.
Enjoyed the video with John Maxwell 🙂
Hi John,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for being a regular visitor to my blog and thank you for the compliment…
I am lucky to have the awesome team that I have. I love the input I receive from my team, which allows me to make better decisions and I love to see the growth and development of future leaders on my team.
I have been a fan of John Maxwell for quite some time and he is one of the true masters out there in the field of leadership Principles.
To your massive success,
Marc
Hi Marc!
I happened that you are one of my leaders in my chosen field of home business and I’m greatly honored to that point! Mastering yourself and your thoughts, which at the end shall become ACTIONS is the most vital point as you underlined. Myself I concentrate as well as leading through example. If this is not practiced then how can see and start trusting the endresult…
Thx again for the mentioned list of characteristics for a true leader.
All the best,
Alex
Hey Alex,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to be able to work with a Leader like yourself.
When you lead by example, you will gain the respect of others as they follow the Leadership habits that you exhibit on a daily basis..
As long as you are able to be disciplined yourself’… your actions will speak louder than anything you can say.
It’s the old saying.. “Actions speak louder than words”
To your massive success,
Marc
Hi Marc,
As I replied to your comment on my blog, I would like to have a discussion with you and if you feel inclined, let’s connect at skype: clarekelway. I love your writings and we are very connected in many ways. You are right that leaders are not born although I think there are some exceptions in history I could debate with you… however that is not the norm and certainly leadership can be developed. I don’t think it is learned in a book but rather from life’s experiences and an inner desire to be coachable and teachable. The most important point you make is following through in everything you do! That is a big one and key to success in our industry.
Blessings
Clare
Hey Clare,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
I have sent a connection request to you on Skype and I would love to connect with you there.
With the right Mentorship and mindset, I have seen many people develop the skill sets to become Leaders in the Industry and their Professions.
It is always rewarding to see these people develop the traits that are needed to become Leaders in their own right.
I agree, I don’t believe these skills can be learned from a book. A person has to have the drive and desire to want to be all they can be.
All the good intentions in the world do absolutely nothing on the road to success, if you don’t develop the habit of taking DAILY action and following through. It’s all about “Showing Up”
It takes discipline, but people will follow you if you set the right example.
To your massive success,
Marc
Hey Marc,
Awesome post on leadership! I love the quote at the very first, you have to be able to relate but you must be far enough ahead to lead. You have packed a lot of great information into this post on leadership…good job!
Hi Ryan,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
That is one of my favorite quotes. too. John Maxwell is one of the best out there when it comes to Leadership training.
It is important to set a good example and become disciplined each and every day and we will gain the followers that you deserve.
To your massive success,
Marc
Marc,
My goal at this point is to become an inspirational speaker and coach. Leadership skills are required to motivate, inspire and influence my listeners and hopefully make a dent in their relationships and their lives with my accumulated wisdom.
John Maxwell is so inspirational. It is easy to be swept up in his ideas, his charisma, his smile and his world.
Thanks for sharing his vidoes.
Erica
Hi Erica,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
John Maxwell is one of the best when it comes to discovering Leadership skills.
You are so inspirational, I have no doubt that you will be a fabulous inspirational speaker and Coach.
You seem so determined and passionate about this goal, I know you will set the bar high and set a great example for your listeners to follow and their lives will be enriched because of it.
To your massive success,
Marc
Excellent post, Marc! I am blessed to have a number of mentors right now who are demonstrating the qualities you list above. I look forward to the day when those on my team can say the same about me.
Willena Flewelling
Hi Willena,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
You are lucky to have great mentors in your life. That is the best way to learn success principles and learn from those who have already succeeded.
I’m sure you won’t have to wait much longer till your team looks at you as a great Mentor. I’ll bet many do already.
Keep up the great work.
To your massive success,
Marc
Good post, Marc. I don’t have a team of people that I lead, but I do lead students, and this applies to me in that leadership position as a music teacher, as well. Thank you for sharing this information.
Wishing you a song in your heart,
Miss Leslie @ Music with Miss Leslie.com
Hi Leslie,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment…it is greatly appreciated.
Well, since students are people, too… you DO have a team of people that you lead. You are perhaps one of the Best types of Leaders, since you are shaping young minds and exposing them to the joy of music.
Music is so therapeutic and has always been something that has helped me to relax and re-energize.
So, thank you for bringing music into the lives of so many.
To your continued success,
Marc
I love how you pretty well explain the huge conundrum of trying to actually explain what leadership truly is. Leadership is such inspired action that it is difficult to wrap it up in a definition. You often don’t even know it’s happening until after the fact when you sit back and realize how someone stood up, assumed responsibility, took initiative and lead even if only for a short time. Thanks Marc,
Kimberly
Great blog post on leadership. All five of those traits are key components of a great leader. I have to admit for myself, I have a little trouble keeping my mouth shut at times, and reading this reminds me that i might want to practice keeping quite. Thanks Marc!
Hello Marc,
I appreciate your invite to your channel and would like to invite you to my channel. Would you please subscribe, make a comment and add me as your friend. You may follow me other than YouTube by going to my channel, scrolling to the bottom of my bio where you will find my social network links.
Marketing online has a very simple equation for success. The equation is the following: Knowledge + Action + a Positive Attitude = Success. On my channel you will find a FREE Marketing & Training System to teach the first part of the equation. The other two parts will be up to you.
Go out and make today your best day ever!
Lloyd Dobson 🙂
Pingback: How Do You Develop A Great Character ? | Success One Day At A Time
I have no doubt that you will be a fabulous inspirational speaker and Coach.
You seem so determined and passionate about this goal, I know you will set the bar high and set a great example for your listeners to follow and their lives will be enriched because of it.
That is not the norm and certainly leadership can be developed. I don’t think it is learned in a book but rather from life’s experiences and an inner desire to be coach able and teachable. The most important point you make is following through in everything you do! | 😛
I love your writings and we are very connected in many ways. You are right that leaders are not born although I think there are some exceptions in history I could debate with you… however that is not the norm and certainly leadership can be developed…….
Your team is lucky to have a leader like yourself, you summarized the qualities of a leader so well.
You seem so determined and passionate about this goal, I know you will set the bar high and set a great example for your listeners to follow and their lives will be enriched because of it.
Excellent post! Leadership is such inspired action that it is difficult to wrap it up in a definition. You often don’t even know it’s happening until after the fact when you sit back and realize how someone stood up, assumed responsibility, took initiative and lead even if only for a short time. Thanks for stopping by!…
Your desired of making yourself a good leader made us to follow your steps and pursue the attitude being an effective leader, we are determined to apply your ideas and knowledgeable skills and talent.
I don’t think it is learned in a book but rather from life’s experiences and an inner desire to be coach able and teachable. The most important point you make is following through in everything you do! | 😛
Very informative blog! Thanks for posting.. 🙂 i really love to learn from the expert..
It appears you truly understand a lot about this subject matter and this shows throughout this posting,
named “How Do You Become The Leader That You Want To Be?
| The Night-Time Networker”. Thanks -Ellen