Leadership is a Muscle. It Needs Work to be Strong!

If you google “how to be a good leader” you’ll get approximately 1,730,000,000 results. That’s kind of an overwhelming amount of information, isn’t it? Clearly, this is a topic that everyone has an opinion on, but one thing you might notice is that most of these articles revolve around being a great manager at work and completely leave out how important it is to take those same ideals about leadership and apply them at home.

Not that I want to imply that your coworkers and subordinates are children, but I think you’ll find that at the end of the day, a lot of advice on how to lead a team at work and lead your family at home are going to be extremely similar. So, let’s break it down. These are, in my personal opinion, four of the best qualities to cultivate if you want to successfully lead others.

1. Be Introspective

Are you able to look at yourself and honestly assess whether or not you’re doing the things that you ask of others all the time? Part of being a good leader is being able to recognize when you’re not displaying the same levels of discipline that you expect from the people around you. “Do as I say, not as I do,” isn’t a great approach to take at work or at home.

At home: If you constantly yell at your children to stop yelling all the time, then you’re probably fighting an uphill battle. Imagine how hypocritical it sounds for you to tell them to stop doing something that you do all the time. Our kids follow our actions more than they listen to our words. Lead by example if you want the best results.

At work: No one wants to listen to a supervisor who is constantly breaking the rules they tell everyone else not to break. If you want things done by the book, then you have to lead by example. You’ll have a hard time gaining the respect of your coworkers if you don’t hold yourself to the same standards as everyone else.

2. Be Humble

When it comes to leading others, humility is always vital. It’s what gives us grace and allows us to recognize that everyone is constantly growing, including ourselves. Putting yourself on a pedestal as someone who can do no wrong, and then smugly watching everyone else try to get on “your level” isn’t going to get you very far.

At home: Kids love it when parents admit to their mistakes and apologize. It can be extremely hard for parents to own up, but it sets a great precedent for your household. It teaches your children that it’s okay to recognize their own errors as well. Teaching them how to hold themselves accountable will give them a leg up in life in every situation; a little humility goes a long way in getting along well with others.

At work: In almost any career, you’ll hear the phrase “own it” a lot. Your boss is always going to expect you to “own” your projects and any mishaps that occur along the way. But what about your boss? Do they “own it” regularly? How does it affect your opinion of them when absolutely nothing is ever their fault? It’s extremely hard to be an effective leader if you can never admit when you’ve made a mistake, but expect others to own up all the time. A little bit of humility will make your employees respect you more and create a better working environment for everyone.

3. Be Someone with a Vision

In order to be an effective leader, you have to know where you’re trying to steer the ship! Sure, your goals could change at a moment’s notice, but it’s still important to have that target in mind. And no goal is too small! As long as you know where you want to go, it’ll be easier to get others to follow your lead.

At home: Have regular family meetings! Let your loved ones express themselves, and really listen to their concerns. Do you need a new chore chart because the house isn’t getting cleaned well enough? Do you all feel connected and like you’re spending enough time together every week? Setting clear goals that everyone agrees on will help motivate the whole family to work together to make it happen.

At work: As a leader, it’s your responsibility to set the goals you ultimately want your team to hit. If you aim for nothing, then you’ll hit it every time—and you’re not going to maintain a management position for long doing things that way. Let your team know what you expect of them, but include them in your decisions as well. Hear their ideas and see where they fit into your aspirations. People will follow you if they feel like they have a voice that’s important. Leading at work isn’t always about nailing down every detail; sometimes it’s about stepping back and letting the ideas of others be heard as well.

 4. Be Eager to Learn

No matter how far you get in life, there’s always more room to grow. Telling yourself that you know everything is setting yourself up for spectacular failure. A good leader will always seek out other people that can help them grow, whether it’s attending seminars, peer advisory groups or reading work from people whose leadership skills they admire.

At home: Engage with other parents, read books about parenting or get involved with parenting groups online. There are so many options available, and no matter which route you choose it’s important to expose yourself to people who might have family values and dynamics that differ from yours. Every conversation that introduces you to something new is a chance for you to expand your knowledge and grow! What you learn might not be handy at that exact moment, but it might be later.

At work: A good leader never stops trying to get better. Conferences, workshops, peer groups, people with life experience who are only an email or phone call away; there is a plethora of options available. There’s not one seminar you can attend, or one book you can read that will give you all the answers for the rest of your professional career. It’s okay to not know it all or how to handle every situation, and keeping yourself open to new perspectives will help you achieve all the goals you’ve set for yourself and your team.

Striving to achieve these qualities are a great place to start if you’re struggling with leadership responsibilities anywhere in your life. If you’re having a hard time moving forward and feel like you’re holding yourself back, then reach out to us. We’re always glad to help.