Regardless of the context (sports, business, community or whatever) leadership implies a team situation with inspiring performances by an individual.
Leadership is not defined by title or position, nor by what a person knows. It’s comprised of sound decision-making and effective actions. What people do and how they do it determines whether they are leaders. And it isn’t just the number of things done, it’s the number of things done well. When it comes to leadership, the quality of decisions counts far more than the quantity.
Effective leaders revel in helping others develop their particular skills and talents. Even when over-taxed themselves, they never brush off someone seeking help but are approachable and easy to talk to. If not able to deal with a situation right away, they explain why and get back to it as soon as possible.
Effective leaders, by understanding what motivates people and always showing consideration for their feelings, inspire others to reach their potential. They know that results are achieved through persuasion, not bullying. It’s the rope principle: pull a rope and it will follow you, push it and it will curl up and go nowhere. Another thing effective leaders always remember is that even people who don’t mind sharing credit still want to receive their fair share. Effective leaders make sure they get it.
Effective leaders help a group of people reach its potential by inspiring them to work as a team. They also look for and develop new leaders. An important indication of this characteristic is the delegation of responsibility. They know the best way to delegate is to show people they’re trusted. People won’t believe they’re trusted if someone is trying to control what they do all the time; micro-managers are seldom perceived as leaders. Effective leaders help people do a better job but never do it for them; they’re coaches, not quarterbacks, and they instil confidence by telling team members how they’re doing without being asked.
Effective leaders are adept problem solvers. They don’t worry about possible criticism of their decisions; people who second-guess their decisions should be taking direction, not giving it. Leadership will always include occasionally being unpopular, so effective leaders never equate disagreement with disloyalty; they know how to diplomatically turn a “why” into a “why not?”
Keeping cool in emergencies and being able to make difficult tasks seem simple, rather than panicking and making easy things seem difficult, are other leadership attributes. Effective leaders come up with solutions that are easily understood, and know how to clearly communicate them. They’re good listeners who don’t hesitate to ask questions others would likely avoid asking, such as whether a team member is having a personal problem with which they might be able to help.
When the effective leader’s work is done, everyone says, “We did it!”