Leaders lead people. They might be managers, directors or any kind of boss and they might even be you. But if you are leading people then this guide is for you!
Recognise when you are in charge
When you are in charge, you are responsible for your actions and the actions of the people who work with you. You need to know what you are responsible for so that you can do the right things in a timely way.
You should be prepared to take responsibility when things go wrong and know that it is part of your job as a leader. Leaders have to make decisions and sometimes these will turn out to be wrong but leaders also have to accept this fact because making mistakes is part of being human.
Leaders need to recognise when they are responsible for something and act accordingly, whether it is giving advice or taking action themselves when necessary.
Work out where you want to go
The first step in leading people is to work out where you want to go.
This doesn’t mean that you need to have all the answers or even a clear plan of how you will get there; it just means understanding where your current situation sits within a broader context, and making sure that any decisions or actions are based on this framework. For example: if I wanted to lose 10kgs (22lbs) over six months, what would that look like? What sort of progress do I need to make each week or month? How does this compare against my previous weight loss attempts? Could I achieve it by following the same path as before?
When we set goals for ourselves—whether they’re related to our health and fitness, career progression or anything else—it helps us stay focused on what matters most at any given time because they provide us with both purpose and motivation. And while setting goals can be challenging at times, especially if they seem too lofty when compared with previous attempts (e.g., losing 50kg), having something tangible can help keep us motivated through difficult periods when we feel like giving up.
Be prepared to make a plan
- Planning is more than just writing stuff down. It’s about setting goals, understanding your resources and constraints, and identifying potential options.
- For instance, you may have a goal of reaching $5 million in revenue by year end. You can’t do that without understanding your resources (your team) and constraints (time). Then you can work backward to identify the steps it will take to reach this goal. If you don’t know how much time it will take people at different levels of management to get things done, or what tasks are needed for each department or task area, then planning becomes impossible at best—and frustratingly haphazard at worst.
Be prepared to take action
In order to become a better leader, you must be prepared to take action. You must be decisive, and willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
Being accountable for your actions is also key in becoming a successful leader. If you make decisions that affect your team members’ lives or livelihoods, it’s important that you are open about why the decision was made (even if it was not their favorite). This helps foster trust among staff members and shows that they can rely on their leader for guidance when it’s needed most.
Asking for help is also an important skill: don’t feel selfish by asking others for advice on how best to handle certain situations; rather, consider this an opportunity for teamwork! Asking people who have more experience than yourself will help expand your knowledge base so that next time around things may go more smoothly—and with less stress!
Follow through
Follow through is the ability to make a decision and then complete the action you promised to take. It’s an essential part of leadership because it requires that you use your authority and influence. Follow through also includes accountability, which is important for both managers and employees.
If you want to be a successful leader and gain respect from other people, one of the things you need to do is follow through on your word. If someone asks for something from you—be it a favor or help with some task—and they trust in your ability or commitment enough that they’ll rely on what you say, then it’s important for them not only to receive what they wanted but also see that whatever was promised was completed as described by yourself or someone else who works with them (e.g., an assistant).
Leading people is a skill.
Leading people is a skill. The more we practice, the better we get.
The more we practice, the more confidence we have in our skills.
The more we practice, the more knowledge and wisdom we gain about how to lead people effectively.
Conclusion
As you can see, leading people is a skill that needs to be developed. The more we practice, the better we get.