How to become a leader ?

iHeartCapitalism · 2016-12-09T23:09:03+00:00

It's a lot of books you can read (lietruth mentioned a few very good ones) and I highly suggest the 10x rule.

But let me try to give you an answer as well. It's a very complex thing that has many moving parts - to be a leader, but I'd say these are the most important things I've noticed a leader should require/ask himself:

Do you have a vision and a path you want to take to follow it (and can you change course if you see you need to).
Are you calm under stress. When everything is going to shit, can you be counted on by your team that you'll find out what to do?
Do you have good posture, a good voice, confidence. How you present yourself says a lot about your inner abilities.
Can you take advice from other leaders and also those below you? Do you welcome all information and then filter what's good or bad, or are you stuck inside your own head and blind to what others are doing and thinking?
Intelligence helps a lot. If they see you as a dumbass, they'll not be so likely to follow you.
Learn how to read people. Understand their personality, what makes them 'tick'. What motivates them.
Know how to punish someone swiftly and fairly (or simply cut them off) but also know how to show appreciation. Let people know when they have done something good which helps the group's (your) vision.
Do you inspire trust? Can people trust that you won't fuck them over? That you'll take care of them?
Do you have courage? When the army (or competitors) are at the gate, will you run and let your people take the fall for you - or will you be up front willing to take a bullet?
Does your vision have something for "them". Do they actually gain anything from following you? People are mainly looking after themselves and if you don't appease their interest, they'll likely not follow you

lietruth · 2016-12-09T21:08:58+00:00

Read books. All of them. Do what the books tell you to do. Start with:

The 10x rule

How to win friends & influence people

Blue ocean strategy

The hard thing about hard things

Zero to one

The effective executive

crew6dawg0 · 2016-12-10T18:46:40+00:00

I was an NCO in the Army and had to lead guys and teach them crap. Transitioning from a follower to a leader was an enormous step for me. No one is naturally born a leader, it's something that takes time to perfect just like any valuable skill in life. I believe that in order to become a leader, you first have to be a follower - before I can teach somehow how to shoot a gun, I must first be taught and learn how to shoot the gun.

On top of that, a good leader has solid principles. A leader holds everyone accountable, even their friends and family. A leader has the ability to inspire others in their cause, and is truly passionate about whatever it is they are considered a leader in. They believe in their cause, not fake it. They listen to others concerns and give them positive feedback. They are moral and just. They are not a hypocrite. They genuinely care about their followers. When I was an NCO, I would talk to my guys about their lives and what was going on - example: One time a new guy to the unit was seeming down in the dumps lately and drinking a lot. I asked him what was up, and he told me his ex gf and him had broken up. Even though we had worked late that day and it was getting dark, I spent the next hour talking to him about how it's affecting him and his thoughts and feelings on the matter, and the next day he made a public show of his appreciation that I had his back and that I was a good NCO. The side effect of THAT was that others saw he felt I was a good leader and would follow me, and it inspired others to do the same. From there on out, when I needed something done or it might have been controversial, I knew I could rely on him to get it done regardless.

A good leader also has confidence in his voice, and speaks intelligently on a subject - he speaks intelligently on a subject because HE IS intelligent about it. He knows the subject, and his actions and voice reflect his knowledge and people respect THAT.

You can practice being a leader or even be one in things you enjoy (sports, hobbies), for instance I enjoy paintball. So guess what I do whenever we play and there is younger or less experienced players with me? I lead them. I give them "orders", give them tips on how to be effective and achieve their goal (you cover this door while I move up), and I reinforce their confidence by commending them on good actions (good covering fire man, you saved our ass).

The list goes on, and there are so many sources out there on how to be a leader it's ridiculous. Put yourself in a position to be heard by others, and stand up when you feel like no one is taking the charge. Practice and experience is key to being a good leader, as well as gaining knowledge and insight into good leadership through books and other materials.

MeatCurtainRod · 2016-12-09T23:04:24+00:00

This is like asking "how do I win at life". Well it depends entirely on you. What works for me does NOT work for you. To add to what others said: You can watch all the shows and clips you want, read all the books you can find, but unless you put together an action plan and implement these ideas and see it to the end, you'll never go anywhere. There is no instant win, no quick finish. Some even said that it took them until their retirement age to figure it out.

mrpCamper · 2016-12-10T04:41:41+00:00

If you have a boss, start with trying to do everything you can to make his job easier. Then read the stuff mentioned by others.

oldredder · 2016-12-10T14:26:14+00:00

Almost everyone is just a natural born leader or follower. That's what alpha/beta means.

A person with the drive but not sure of the job itself can still learn to be a leader in that job/situation. A person without the drive is probably never going to. A person who is a natural born follower is the opposite of a leader and can never switch

LordThunderbolt · 2016-12-10T17:05:34+00:00

It comes down to power and respect.

If you use your power ruthlessly to set an example, you automatically earn the respect of your followers. They operate like animals. There is a pecking order that's respected. And sometimes, the legend of the boss is enough to paralyze any ambitious guy in the crew.

Title	How to become a leader ?
Author	throwawayy2225
Upvotes	20
Comments	8
Date	December 9, 2016 8:40 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/5hg66u/how_to_become_a_leader/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-to-become-a-leader.78857 https://theredarchive.com/post/78857

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