How to become the kind of leader that everyone voluntarily follows?

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.” —Brian Tracy

Organizations and communities rely on individuals who embody attributes that reinforces a performance culture in a way that is inspiring for their team members to voluntarily want to follow. Not only will such qualities trigger the ‘willingness’ for the team members to engage and strive to boost their performance for greater heights yet will also strengthen trust and a stronger bond within the organizations. This will boost team productivity and focus, which is a propensity for success.

Lead by inspiration

As a leader, you should want to unleash the potential of your team via empowerment rather than control. Humility, vitality, optimism, responsibility, accountability, and having a positive mindset are some qualities that may inspire and drive your staff to perform harder. But more precisely, a great leader should maintain composure and be aware of the fact that mistakes will always happen. They should be able to calm down and find solutions to improve team performance and productivity. Leaders who are in this state of mind are better able to handle stress, concentrate, empathize, and listen intently, all of which are essential components of good leadership.

Compassionately communicate with your team members

A leader would not be heard or understood by others without communication. A good leader takes the initiative to communicate and do it with a purpose. To communicative effectively, you should transparently convey objectives, roles, duties, and key information to your team members to eliminate confusion and promote trust. Communication that works well may help you and your team members form a strong relationship. It is also critical to understand who you are talking with. A strong leader should be able to tailor their communication strategies to the qualities of each team member in order to ensure that the message is well comprehended.

Be an active and empathetic listener

A good leader should strive to become more interactive rather than directive. To do so, great leaders should patiently listen to their team members’ perspectives, ideas, worries, suggestions, and so on as it fosters mutual understanding, and promotes interactivity between one another. It also allows the leaders to recognize and empathize with the challenges that their team members are confronting. Empathy entails being attentive and imagining oneself in the shoes of one’s team members and, if required, be responsive in devising solutions that will benefit them. Effective listening and empathy are two of the most critical activities that a leader may perform in order to establish trust and a solid relationship with their team members.