The ability to be a leader in any given situation, apart from being a matter of great pride and respect, is an ability valued by one and all. Now this quality of leadership doesn’t necessarily have to be in the workplace or among colleagues– it could easily be in casual situations, for example among friends like group projects, peers like organizing a bake sale or family members like organizing dad’s secret birthday party. And when you’re in charge of doing things, you know you’ll get things done. However, if you wish to be a leader but don’t know how, then this article is perfect for you.

How to Be a Leader

The fact remains that all of you have the ability to lead; whether or not you decide to take that position up is entirely up to you. So forget what the world tells what you can or cannot do. Listen to your heart, be strong and motivated enough, and then nothing in this world can stop you from becoming a respected leader in your field!

1. Recognize areas where you can provide valuable insight

You have to have at least one area of expertise, right? Now that could be time management, gathering resources, finance, handling people, PR, leg work, coordinating with other parties, etc. Recognize what your strengths are, and play to them. Don’t be afraid to share your strengths with your friends – they will appreciate you taking the first step to get things done. This brings me to my next point…

2. Be willing to take responsibility

It’s pretty much the job of the leader to be responsible for the group project, as well as the activities/submissions of the people involved. If you’re the type of person who shirks responsibilities or runs away at the mere mention of the word, then how to be a leader is not something you should be up searching on Google.

3. Admit your mistakes

Accept that you do not know the answers to all questions. Either way, it serves a twofold purpose. First, it shows your colleagues that you aren’t infallible – you’re a human who makes mistake and doesn’t know all there is to know, which will make them take it easy on you. Second, accepting that you’re wrong or have incomplete knowledge about something will only increase their respect for you, because there aren’t that many people out there who would ever make such an admission, especially in front of their subordinates.

4. Apologize when you’re wrong

Saying “sorry” isn’t a sign of weakness but of strength. It shows that you’re able to put aside your pride and ego and admit that you messed up.

5. Decisiveness is an important factor

In life, you won’t always be given ample time to think over your options, or opportunities to correct your mistakes. How to be a leader? Be a decision maker because, sometimes, you will be backed into a corner and forced to make important decisions on the sport.

6. Say what you mean, and mean what you say

People need to be able to trust your word. If you say something but mean something else, then it won’t be long before people stop taking you seriously for your word. This doesn’t mean you have to have no filter on your mouth or that you can be as rude and abrasive as you want. No. It simply means you have to learn what you want to say, but with tact.

7. Building relationships is important

You need to interact with your colleagues not as a leader, but as their friend. The more they think you as one of them, the more they are likely to open up to you, become more loyal and are willing to work harder under you. Communication is key, and make sure that the communication between you and you colleagues is a two-way street.

8. Don’t take criticisms personally

The thing about being a leader is to be ready for a constant pile of crap being thrown at you. Everything will always be your fault, and people will criticize you constantly and challenge your decisions. Sometimes, people might even get personal but it’s your job to understand that most of them are behaving that way because they’re under a great deal of pressure and stress.

Learn to ignore what they say, until and unless they raise valid criticisms about you. In that case, you have to be all ears.

9. Always have a backup plan

A majority of the times you’re a leader, things won’t go as you want them to go. Sometimes it’ll be your group members’ fault and sometimes, it will be something entirely out of your hand, like  bad weather. Even when you’re 100% sure of things going your way, have a backup plan. You never know when it’ll come in handy. Knowing how to avert a crisis and using it to your advantage is part and parcel of how to be a leader.

10. Share credit with your colleagues

See the thing is, credit will always be given when a group project is finished. But if you keep on taking all the credit for yourself, sooner or later your colleagues are gonna become tired of your conceited nature and stop working under you. Giving them credit shows them that you value them as your team members, and recognition is what all of them crave.