These 4 things separate natural leaders from the rest of us

With a little extra effort, you can be one of those “natural” leaders.

Can you think of someone in your life who is known as a “natural” leader? Someone who has the ability to bring people together to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks? I definitely can. I vividly recall moments of pure awe watching peers absolutely dominate the problems laid before them. I can also remember feeling a tinge of fear… maybe more like concern… that I would never have the leadership chops to deliver in the way those superheroes did. They obviously possessed much larger quantities of some inherent traits of leadership than I did.

It is easy to get stuck in the compare and complain cycle. However, there were times when I was clear-minded and took advantage of my front-row seat to leadership excellence. When I did I was able to study those “natural” leaders. What exactly were they doing to make their efforts seem so… effortless? As it turns out, a healthy dose of their magic came from the stuff we don’t see.

You have to believe to create believers

In order to get others to buy into your idea, you need to believe in it. #thankscaptainobvious Even though that’s a pretty straightforward idea, let’s dig into it a bit. What steps would you need to take to truly believe in your idea? The answer to that question is the first step towards becoming a more “natural” leader. In order to believe you have a great idea, you need to do some upfront leg work. You need to clearly understand the problem you are trying to solve and you need to have confidence that your idea is the best possible solution to the problem.

It’s important I make a quick clarification here. The self-improvement genre has created many books, articles, and podcast episodes that imply a manifested belief in yourself (and your own ideas) is enough to get started. When I say you need confidence that your idea is the best possible solution, I am not suggesting you manifest your confidence through positive self talk. Natural leaders don’t (necessarily) stand in front of the mirror and tell themselves that they’re good enough.

While there isn’t anything wrong with pumping yourself up, I want to be clear that people who have true confidence in their ideas take the time to validate they are the best possible solutions to their problems. On a large scale this process is called strategy, but for smaller endeavors it might just mean you ask the right questions to the right people before you proceed.

Finally, to really believe in your idea you need a realistic plan to get it done. The effort to create a truly actionable plan is easier for some than others. A step-by-step approach to solving a problem is music to some people’s ears, while others see a spreadsheet-laden, soul-crushing hell. The method for creating a plan is entirely up to you, but it is unavoidable if you want to truly lead others forward.

Well, cool… you believe. Strong start! But you can’t have true believers if you don’t actually share your ideas with others. That’s the next step that our “natural” leaders take. They explain the concern they have with the problem they’re facing and how their great idea is the best way to solve the problem. More importantly, they share it with the right people; and when they do, they ask the right questions and genuinely listen to the feedback. If you want to copy this key “natural” skill of asking the right people the right questions, you have to spend time thinking about who you need to talk to, how your problem impacts them, and what you need to know from them. Again, this may come easier for some than others, but anyone who is willing to put in the effort will get their idea in front of the right people and will have an extremely useful conversation on how to bring it to life.

Once great leaders have an idea, a plan, and a group of passionate people willing to help, there is one more critical step our “natural” leaders always do: they follow through. They ensure everyone has what they need to do their part to accomplish the great idea. As with our other steps, that follow-through comes easier for some than others, but all of us can do it. Often the effort spent here is the only visible leadership trait. We can see the grit, the determination, and the willingness to serve. What we don’t see is the time spent to understand what needs to be done and how to do it. In reality, the time spent upfront builds the foundation of confidence that grit and determination sit upon.

Let’s take “natural” out of quotes

By now you probably realize I don’t particularly like the term “natural” leader. In fact, as I was preparing to write this article, I googled, “traits of a natural leader,” and some of the top results were absolutely eyerollingly bad (don’t… I know you’re tempted… trust me… save your time). Many of these articles gush over the innate traits “natural” leaders possess without delving into the upfront effort required to be passionate or self-confident. As we have already covered, YOU can significantly improve your odds of showing up with passion and self-confidence by doing your homework so you don’t jump headfirst into a half-baked idea.

It is important to recognize that even though anyone can put in this effort, there will always be parts of the journey that come more easily to some than others. I, for one, totally suck at creating a plan. Does that mean I can’t do it? No, it just means that planning is a way of thinking that I don’t prefer or do naturally. However, over the years I’ve worked on it; and, like any other skill, I’m better because I have. I have also adopted systems to thoughtfully plan out my year, month, week, and day and live religiously in my reminders app to ensure I can stick to my plan. For some, this critical skill of leadership is a natural one; for me, I spend time that no one else sees to make sure I can deliver.

You might have a difficult time with planning too, or you might have other steps along the way that are not as strong for you. Ultimately people who appear to be natural leaders are the ones who do the work to ensure they have a great idea, a great plan, the right team, and then follow through, ensuring everyone has what they need to fully implement the idea and solve the problem. That might sound like a lot of work… because, guess what… it is. But, with honest reflection, practice, and the right support to overcome your challenges, you can dramatically improve your ability to lead… at some point, it may just come naturally. As long as you put in the time and effort to work through the required steps, YOU TOO can be a natural leader.

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