True leaders have certain qualities that set them apart from the people they lead. Even if the leader doesn't announce who he or she is, you can probably pick them out of a crowd based on these skills. If you want to become a successful leader, you should consider developing these five skills as much as possible.
- Be a Good Follower
How can you lead without knowing how to follow? If you understand what makes a good follower, you can be a good leader as well. Experience as a follower will help you see things from the eyes of a follower. Once you are in a leadership position, you can call on this experience to help you lead your followers. - Patience
As cliché as it may sound, patience is a virtue. A great leader is patient with the people they are leading. A great leader must also be patient with their own expectations of themselves. Things can take time to develop. A good leader must have the patience to see a big project or development come to fruition. - Flexibility
Setting goals is a huge skill to have as a leader, but being flexible is even more important. You will always encounter new ideas. As a leader, it is your job to consider the best ideas and form your plans around those ideas. If that means changing your goals in light of new information, then so be it. - Empathy
A great leader must possess a certain amount of empathy. He or she has to understand how people feel in certain circumstances and why they feel that way. If a leader doesn't have a high social intelligence, he or she will not be as successful at leading people in a company or business. People will respond positively to a leader who understands their feelings. - Determination
Once a leader has a plan, he or she must have the determination to make it happen. If you give up easily, you won't be a valuable employee in your workplace. Forget about being a leader. A leader who gives up will never have the respect of the people he or she leads.
Some people are born to be leaders; others develop the skills that allow them to effectively lead a group of people. You are the only person who knows what you are truly capable of. If you want to be a leader, you should develop these traits. If you already consider yourself a leader, then you probably have these skills now.
