What Makes a Great Leader?
Dec 13, 2023
I came across a quote the other day by Rosalynn Carter that said, "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."
Taking people where they want to go is great, because it helps build their trust in you, but what it also does is it creates a sense of comfortability, which limits people from growing and getting better. Everyone wants to be comfortable and everyone wants to be where they want to be and have what they want to have, but you can never see your true potential or experience all there is to experience if you stay in your comfort zone.
Taking people where they ought to be may not be easy and it will come with its own challenges, but it will bring out the best in your people and it will also bring out the best in you.
If you want to be a great leader, here are a few things you should be doing on a regular basis:
1) See People For Who They Can Be
I always teach people in class to see people for who they CAN be, not for who they ARE. If you limit yourself to only seeing people for who they currently are, you will never be able to see past that or see the potential they may not even see in themselves. If you want to take people where they ought to be, you must first see them for who they CAN be; aka: their full potential.
2) Give People Room to Grow
If you want your people to be the best they can be, you cannot expect that to happen within a day or two. You also cannot give someone a task and micromanage their progress. Let them fail a few times until they get it right! That is how we all learn; sometimes by trial and error and sometimes by seeing what doesn't work in order to discover what does. Give your people room to grow and room to mess up. If your people feel like they have room to figure things out on their own and learn as they go, they will feel more comfortable working with you and will be able to trust you as their leader.
3) Show Your People You Appreciate Them
If you feel appreciated, you are going to keep doing what you're doing and may even do more than expected, right? Well that is how you should make your people feel. When your people feel like what they are doing matters and what they bring to the table is valuable, they will work that much harder and will be that much happier in their job. Feeling purposeful brings out the best in everyone, which makes for a better work flow and a better work environment.
If you take people where they want to go, you're not doing all you can to be the best leader possible; you're still a good leader, but if you want to be GREAT, you must be able to help others achieve more, visualize more, and become more. That is what makes a great leader; going above and beyond for your people so they will go above and beyond for you.
- Dean
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