How to become a great leader

When you think of great leaders, a few names may come to mind - Steve Jobs, Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg, Ariana Huffington - and you can't help but wonder:

What made it special

Is There a Secret to Becoming a Great Leader?

Or could it be that these leaders are perhaps the rarest exception - so gifted that they are considered beyond the limits of mortality?

The truth is that anyone with support, motivation, and the right principles can become a great leader. Many great leaders started out as average people - they had to learn how to lead.

To help you, we'll show you how to learn to be a good leader.

And it all starts with the question:

What is the difference between a good leader and a great leader?
To answer this question, we need to address a common misconception: leaders vs. managers.

What is the difference?

Well, "manager" is a title - a level of hierarchy within an organization. it is a top-down approach as opposed to a bottom-up management approach.

On the other hand, what does a manager do?

Lead, of course.

All leaders are in some way managers, but not all managers are leaders.

Remember, people can't always choose their boss, but they can choose who to follow.

So the first step in becoming a great leader is understanding that leadership is more than just a position and making a conscious choice to be someone worth following.

Being a good leader means developing exceptional emotional intelligence.

In the words of Simon Sinek:

Executives are often so concerned about their status and position in the organization that they forget about their actual job. And the real job of a leader is not to be in charge. It's about taking care of those responsible.

Ultimately, the purpose of a leader is to enable an organization or group of people to achieve something. And the main difference between regular and great leaders is how they handle this process.

For example:

Regular leaders set goals. Great leaders develop unique visions that are meaningful and inspire people.
Regular executives are optimistic about the future. Great leaders know how to cultivate optimism in others. They are practical thinkers who can move from visualization to update - they see both the big picture and granular details.
Regular managers work in the status quo. Great leaders break conventional wisdom and see opportunities for new ways to create and deliver value.
Regular leaders focus on getting engagement. Great leaders know that in order to receive a commitment they must tap into their passion and show people why and how following it will help them achieve their goals.
In order to go from being a good leader to being a great leader, you must first ask yourself:

Am I really and sincerely doing my best?
What are my main areas for improvement?
How can I set a more powerful vision that inspires my people?
What can I do to better understand what my people want?
What do my people need from me?
Answering some of these questions will provide valuable insight into the steps you should be taking.

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Why is leadership important?
The truth is that we are all leaders in some way.

Whether you're raising a family, running a team, running a department, or running a business, you must lead. If you want your family, team, department, or company to follow suit for a long time, you also need to be thoughtful leading and the leader they need.

If you think the trend towards flat organizations and employee development means leaders are less important, think again. People tend to be dependent on hierarchies. In flat and distributed structures with less formal levels of authority, leadership is even more important. Without them, no group can survive very long.

So the question here is not, "Am I a leader?" It's not even, “Am I a great leader?” The question is, “Am I the best possible leader for the situation at hand, based on the needs of the people who need my leadership?