How To Become A Leader Others Will Want To Follow

Great #leaders always have followers who want, not have to, follow them.

The best leaders are the ones people believe in and want to follow.

Some leaders are only followed because their #team #members feel they have to. Leaders have to go beyond just being a boss and be someone others respect and want to emulate.

Whether it’s coaching the community softball league or #motivating a #business team, being the leader others want to follow always yields better results.

Commit To Your Own Ideas

One of the most important differences with this type of leader is they truly believe in their ideas, goals and missions. When they talk about a project, they sound passionate. When asked why they believe in certain values, they have solid reasons. They don’t just do their job, they believe in it. This engaging, passionate attitude carries over to anyone they lead. It helps others understand the importance of a goal or idea more clearly and even feel the importance of it themselves. When you’re team doesn’t think you’re committed, they won’t be either.

Encourage Participation

No one wants to follow the leader that doesn’t notice them. The best leaders encourage participation from everyone. They uncover everyone’s strengths and give them something valuable to do. This makes each individual feel important. It shows you care and makes them a major part of any project or goal. For instance, if you are coaching softball, you might learn your worst player is your best strategist and assign them the job of determining bat order and pitching differences for different teams. Everyone gets to take part and they’re eager to follow you.

Blaze A Path

Many of the greatest leaders in history gained loyal followings by blazing a path so their team could get the job done successfully. These leaders didn’t just manage. They truly led. They provided all necessary tools, worked with individuals to bring out their best selves, met with other leaders and removed any barriers. This not only shows commitment, but proves to your team that you want them to succeed. People are far more likely to follow someone who believes in their success than one who doesn’t seem to care.

Educate And Motivate

A manager often gives employees a list of tasks and doesn’t do anything else until more tasks need to be given out. Great leaders assign tasks, but they also take the time to educate and motivate. They don’t yell and scream when someone does something they wrong. They instead teach the employee how to do it better next time. They invest time into helping their team get better, both as a group and individually. They also praise them on a job well done and encourage them when things go wrong. You have to lead by becoming your team’s teacher and inspiration.

Build Relationships

When a leader takes the time to build relationships with their team, the team is happy to follow them. For example, a softball coach who knows every child’s birthday, favorite hobby and fears on and off the field, is more beloved by the team than the leader who barely knows the kids by name. Building relationships show you care. It’s a simple, but powerful act. It helps your team learn more about you and vice versa. The result is your team trusts you more. They feel more comfortable around you and follow you out of respect instead of fear for their job.

Conclusion

Every leader has the potential to become one of the greats who everyone wants to follow. All it takes is a few changes to your way of thinking and interacting with your team. It’s one of the most effective leadership methods because everyone is happy following the leader.