Nobody is born a leader. You have to develop your leadership skills in your own way. It's up to you how you change your behavior for the better. You may get inspired by strong leaders around you. Are you not sure who they are? You can recognize them by the way they behave in everyday situations.
Entrepreneur.com published an article on this subject by Travis Bradberry, an expert on emotional intelligence and the author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, a globally successful book also published in Czech by BizBooks. The author recommends focusing on the following skills of successful leaders which can help each of us to improve.
Kindness as a strength
A leader must be able to balance his natural kindness to others so that it does not appear a weakness. Being able to tell others the truth is kinder than hiding the truth from them in an effort to protect them or yourself. That would be a weakness.
Strength, but not harshness
If a leader wants others to follow him, he must personify strength and courage. He must be able to make decisions and persevere even during difficult times. Nobody, however, can force strong personal positions on others. One can only change opinions with correct behavior, hand in hand with confidence.
Healthy self-confidence
A leader who believes in himself raises the self-esteem of others. However, he should not become arrogance and selfish. He should not feel that he is better than everyone else. If necessary, he must get involved in ordinary work.
Positive attitude
A successful leader maintains a positive attitude but remains realistic. Travis Bradberry explains this by using an example: Imagine a boat in which a pessimist, an optimist, and a great leader. Everything is great until the wind goes bad. The pessimist starts to wring his hands and complain to the wind. The optimist sits motionless and believes that the wind will get better. The great leader tells everyone that they can handle it, adjusts the sails and steers the boat despite the bad weather.
Example for others
A leader should inspire confidence in others not only by his words but primarily by his actions. He does not talk all days about how people should behave. He shows it through his actions.
Everything for the team
The best leaders "would take a bullet for their people" according to Travis Bradberry. They always stand up for their team and do everything possible for the team to perform in the best way. They are open to discussions about possible improvements and are able to admit their mistakes.
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