Who is a leader and what qualities does this concept imply?

Remember the phrase “he is not meant to be a leader”? But is this a given? I'm sure not. Leadership qualities in yourself can be developed, like other soft skills, and predisposition - charisma and other natural data - only help in this, but are not decisive. How can you independently “pump up” your leadership and what leadership skills are especially needed by developers who want to become team leads?

My name is Ekaterina Dementyeva, I am the HR Director of the Russian software developer MyOffice. In many areas of life, including professional ones, you need to constantly learn. To succeed and achieve what you want, it is important to continuously develop. In this article I will tell you how you can independently develop such leadership qualities as:

1. Long-term vision
2. Goal setting
3. Perseverance
4. Flexibility
5. Ability to bear responsibility and share it with the team

The post will be useful not only to current and future team leads, but also to those who do not seek to formally lead a team.

What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

A leader is not always a manager, and not every manager is a leader. Look: the manager manages goal setting, controls performers and relies on analytics; leader - inspires the team, increases its involvement and inspires trust. Sometimes these are different people. And if this is the same person, they will definitely say about him: “god of team leads”

Companies value leaders very much because they are often about innovation. They are original, support change and think long term. It is leaders who can make the team’s work as efficient as possible and give the company impetus for development, which is sometimes critical for the survival of the business. Cultivate your leadership skills and you will be worth your weight in gold.

Transformational style

Such a leader tends to use his ideas to inspire other people. This personality is characterized by excellent communication skills. That is, such a person speaks quite clearly to his wards. He expresses his thoughts clearly. It’s not difficult with him, because the team of such a person always knows what he wants.

Types of leadership suggest that such a person tends to delegate his own powers to his wards. He spends a lot of time communicating with his team and gets real pleasure from such pastime. The purpose of such meetings is to raise the collective spirit, unite people, and develop in everyone a sense of the importance of involvement in what is happening.

In addition, the leader draws a lot for himself from such conversations. He understands the thinking of the team, its mood, development trends. This leader is also interested in the emotional side of what is happening. If he observes a lack of enthusiasm in someone, he tries to develop interest.

Long-term vision

Taking the long view and seeing potential in unexpected or unnoticed things is an invaluable leadership quality. The management of any company wants to know what will be in demand in their industry tomorrow, how to solve the problem with less cost and greater efficiency, what products everyone will use in the future. Suffice it to recall services that were very popular in the past, but over time they were replaced by more original ones - who knows how things would have turned out in these companies if they had a forward-looking vision?

How to improve long-term vision

BOOKS:

• Luc De Brabander, Alan Iny "Think in Other Formats"
• Dave Stewart, Mark Simmons "The Game of Business." Spaghetti ideas, garbage collectors, Viagra and other ingredients of creative doping"
• Scott Belsky, Bringing Ideas to Life. How to bridge the gap between vision and reality"
• Ivan Bubnov “Vision as a resource. Strategic session with yourself"
• Bill Torbert "Action Research"

VIDEO:

Rosalinda Torres: " How to Become a Great Leader "

FREE CLASSES:

“Netology”: How to evaluate the result of personal development

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• Think about your ideal job - what is it like? What does it include?
• Make a list of 50 of your accomplishments (minimum). Think about it, is there something that unites them? Based on this information, create a chronology of future achievements—just a list with approximate dates will do.
• Talk about the future as if it were the past. Imagine that your plans came true, how the world has changed?
• Make a list of so-called places where you would not like to be - kind of flags, what kind of life you definitely do not want. And make sure that your actions do not lead there.

Main types

The desire for leadership is the desire to take a worthy place in society. And it is common to all people. According to the style of decision-making in a team and methods of approach to resolving problems, types of leadership are determined: authoritarian, liberal or democratic.

Authoritarian leader

Authoritarian leadership provides the leader with the ability to make decisions autonomously, and also implies the subordination of all team members to management. The implementation of decisions made is monitored. The manager has the right to criticize and, without giving reasons, take measures to punish subordinates, which causes mass discontent in the team.

Disadvantages of an authoritarian type of leadership:

• high probability of making wrong decisions;
• lack of initiative and passivity of employees;
• team dissatisfaction;
• difficult moral situation.

This style is advisable only in critical situations: an accident or a threat to life. The authoritarian style is capable of suppressing mass discontent.

Liberal leader

The liberal view is characterized by a lack of control and clarity in requirements. There is the possibility of unpredictable penalties.

Such a personality tends to regress and is characterized by a lack of incentive to work and employee dissatisfaction with management and overall work. The climate in the team is unfavorable. The negative influence of people on each other is expressed by hidden conflicts.

Democratic leader

In a democratic form, a person involves the team in discussing the most important tasks and goals and making decisions. The group is given a certain level of freedom to discuss and stimulate work activity.

Such a leader is the most effective. High probability of making the right decisions, good performance indicators, favorable psychological environment. This type of leadership is an indicator of the professionalism of a manager and a good leader.

Goal setting

Don't be a samurai who "has no goal, only a path." Improved goal setting helps to formulate a vision as a tangible result and plan steps towards it. If all your actions directly or indirectly affect the goal, you will reach it. Additionally, a leader with a clear plan energizes and motivates others.

How to improve your goal setting

BOOKS:

• Brian Tracy "Achieving a Goal"
• Robert Maurer “Step by step to achieve your goal. Kaizen method"
• Theo Tsaousidis, The Brain with Obstacles. 7 hidden barriers that prevent you from achieving your goals"

VIDEO:

• Reggie Rivers: “ If you want to achieve your goals, don't focus on them ” (in English)
• Playlist of five TED Talks “ Tips to help you set and reach your goals ” (each video has a Russian translation)

FREE CLASSES:

• Seminar by Margulan Seisembayev “ Kaizen planning as the basis of a happy life ”
• GeekBrains: Course “ How can a team lead organize work in order to maintain team efficiency and not burn out himself ”

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• What goals have you achieved over the past year? What didn't work?
• Try to understand the nature of past goals - were they your internal desires or external impulses?
• Determine what goals you want to achieve in a year. Plan each month, ensuring that they contribute to achieving your annual goals.
• Learn SMART goal setting and set goals using this methodology.
• Record not only your successes, but also your failures. If something didn’t work out, try to explain to yourself in writing why.
• Determine your starting position in relation to the goal. This is your starting point that will help you plan your first steps.

Useful books

Today, there is a lot of literature that talks about how to become a leader. Books are most often in the public domain, and you can download them to your computer without any problems. It’s worth considering a good selection that will help you achieve your goal and win a leading position in the team.

So, many experts in the field of personal development recommend reading:

1. Seasons of Life, Jim Rohn. The book is written in a reflective style. She talks about the basic principles of identifying a leader in a team, about people’s behavior and how it affects life and professional activities. Some people say about this book: “This is a textbook that will teach you how to live well.”
2. "The Emperor's Handbook", Marcus Aurelius. As Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius was one of the world's most influential and respected leaders. The Emperor's Handbook is a translation of Aurelius' personal notes on life and leadership. The book will tell you how to become a leader and give advice that a modern person can apply every day.
3. "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini. After 35 years of behavioral research, Dr. Robert Cialdini explains the psychology behind why people say “Yes” and how to apply that knowledge to become a better leader and successful businessperson.
4. True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George and Peter Sims. Former CEO Bill George and co-author Peter Sims explain how they become leaders. The purpose of the book is to convey to the reader a simple idea - you need to obey your inner compass and this will help you achieve your goal.

To summarize, it is worth noting that learning leadership is not difficult. To do this, the main thing is to listen to yourself, understand human nature and put aside all fears and insecurities.

Perseverance

Yes, this quality can also be developed! It is important to understand that there will always be obstacles and difficulties, this is our life. It is persistence that will help you not to give up, treat defeat as feedback and continue working. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” - remember this phrase of Theodore Roosevelt?

How to improve perseverance

BOOKS:

• Linda Kaplan Thaler, Robin Koval "True Grit. How to develop the qualities necessary to achieve success"
• Hardy Darren “Cumulative effect. From action to habit, from habit to outstanding results.”

VIDEO:

• Angela Lee Duckworth “ Grit: The power of passion and perseverance ” (translated into Russian)

FREE CLASSES:

• Skillsoft: “Resilience & Perseverance ” (course in English. Paid, but there is a trial period of 14 days - you can complete it in time. 10 books on the topic are also included).

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• Remember one of your significant achievements and write down what difficulties you encountered while moving towards implementation. How did you find a solution in each case? How significant do these problems seem now?
• Think about what inspires and motivates you? Make a list of what creates the right mood: music, movies and more. Turn to these things when you feel low.
• Train self-discipline: specifically set difficult tasks for yourself, fit into challenges, start running. Even simple decluttering, when you decide that it’s time to throw away things, trains willpower.
• Think about who among your loved ones can support you and become like-minded people? Tell these people about your successes, do not hesitate to praise yourself.

OTHER:

• Try the service for achieving goals Smart Progress : there you can practice setting and achieving goals, and also watch how other people solve similar problems and find like-minded people.

Definition of the concept

Before learning how to be a leader, it is important to understand what is meant by this term. So, leadership is the process of influence of one individual on other members of a certain social group, as well as the ability to receive voluntary support from them.

This concept was defined in a very original way by the American writer and professional speaker John Calvin Maxwell. According to him, a leader is a person who knows his path, follows it and shows it to others.

A good leader has a futuristic vision of the world and knows how to turn his ideas into real success stories not only for himself, but also for like-minded people around him. Thus, we can conclude that a leader is a person who knows how to motivate others and does this for the common good. Understanding these nuances should definitely help those people who have set themselves the goal of “I want to become a leader.”

Flexibility

To prevent your persistence from turning into obstinacy, it is worth developing another systemic quality of a leader - flexibility. This is the ability to switch and easily abandon non-working strategies. A leader always has a “Plan B” and a “Plan C” in case something goes wrong. One of the most important soft skills in a world where every day is different from the previous one.

How to improve flexibility

BOOKS:

• Susan David, Emotional Flexibility. How to learn to enjoy change and enjoy work and life"
• Gareth Moore Brain Trainer. How to develop flexible thinking in 40 days"
• Srini Pillay “Jew's harp, sprinkle, marai and taste. Unlock the power of a relaxed brain"

VIDEO:

• Tatyana Vladimirovna Chernigovskaya “ Training the brain: speed, cognitive flexibility, decision making ”
• Irina Khakamada, blog about leadership on YouTube in general and answer to the question “ How to develop flexibility ” in particular

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• What topic do you understand best? Find someone who wants to dive into it and try to teach them.
• Remember what games you loved when you were a child? Find games that you might have also enjoyed as a child. With age, a person loses flexibility - and we’re not just talking about physical abilities.
• Imagine that another person was in your place - fictional or real. What would he do first? What would you say to the people around you, how would you solve current problems?

Create your own image (brand) - for others!

The topic of personal branding has become very popular recently. If before everyone was “PRing” each other, now they are “branding” each other. A personal brand (people’s perception of you) is a virtual image of a person, which is either created chaotically by popular rumor, or the person creates it himself, and the rumor picks it up. What factors influence perception - appearance, clothing, body language and behavior, voice (reflection of the inner essence). When you decide on your image, you can build people’s perception of you the way you want.

Ability to bear responsibility and share it with the team

The leader has to bear responsibility not only for himself, but also for the entire team. What makes a truly good leader and manager is that he shares responsibility, accomplishments, and blame equally. This is perhaps the most “stressful” leadership quality, but the larger a person’s area of ​​responsibility, the larger his sphere of influence. Yes, you have to be responsible for your decisions, especially unpopular ones, defend team members and keep promises; As a reward, the leader receives trust from management and subordinates, and therefore freedom to find the most effective path to the goal. And this skill is not a given from above, it can also be developed!

How to level up responsibility

BOOKS:

• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Risking Your Own Skin. The Hidden Asymmetries of Everyday Life"
• John Miller "5 Principles of Proactive Thinking"
• Bregman Peter “Emotional courage. How to take responsibility, not be afraid of difficult conversations and inspire others"
• Dalio Ray Principles. Life and work"

VIDEO:

• Rob Cook " The Cost of Work Stress and How to Reduce It "
• Simon Sinek " Why a Good Leader Makes You Feel Safe "

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• Get into the habit of the “one minute rule”: before reacting to a negative event, exercise self-control and wait 60 seconds. And before you speak yourself, listen to the other.
• Do you trust yourself? Think about which areas you don’t ask for advice from others, and which areas make you feel insecure and doubtful. Try to make choices in such areas on your own and observe the consequences, moving towards confidence.
• Think back to your big failures where you were held accountable. How did you cope with the consequences? How scary do they seem now? Think about what works best to help you cope with failure.
• Ask yourself: what depends on me and what doesn’t? Write a list of what is in your control right now and what you can control. Your attention should be directed to these aspects, since you cannot be held responsible for what is not in your control.

Ways to develop leadership skills

To become a leader, you need to regularly work on yourself: expanding your worldview, studying other people's experiences, learning from the best coaches and speakers. Leaders don't wait for luck to happen. They act.

The first thing you need to do to become a leader is to understand what leadership style you will use. The best is situational, because it involves changing the management model depending on the situation. When the work is going well, the employees are true professionals, no force majeure has arisen, the democratic style is suitable. If there is a crisis situation in the company, the employees have little experience, the team has not yet united, the best solution would be an authoritarian model.

The second is to draw up an action plan. Some leaders make decisions intuitively, but they usually do not neglect planning. The scheme consists of a goal to be achieved and a description of the tasks that will help achieve this. Learn to prioritize so you don't get bogged down with too many tasks.

The modern world is very dynamic, so you should develop the ability to make decisions quickly and clearly, without much thought. True leaders immediately see opportunity or failure in an opportunity. At first it will be difficult, but later the action plan will automatically appear in your head.

You need to constantly work on yourself.

1. Develop strength of character. Learning to say “no” in certain situations will help you avoid failure. This is especially true for proposals for project implementation. If the leader is not interested in it, then the probability of its success is close to zero.
2. Be resilient. Resilience to stress is an important leadership quality. A person must be prepared for any stress. You cannot show your fears to others, so it is important to develop emotional intelligence.
3. Become responsible. This is something without which a person cannot be considered a leader. You need to be able to admit your mistakes in time.
4. Develop organizational skills. Quarrels in the team, lack of motivation or cohesion, low productivity are things that a leader must be able to eliminate. You can do this by setting a common goal. To do this, you need to learn the skills of persuasion and manipulation.
5. Engage in self-development. A leader who only has knowledge in some areas will not inspire pride and respect in his subordinates. It is important that, in addition to professional issues, the person understands everyday topics or those related to the interests, hobbies, and creativity of employees. Knowledge in the field of psychology, management, marketing and areas related to the company's specialization is required.
6. Learn not to blame others for your failures. Anyone who seeks justification for the actions of others is not a leader. Forget the phrases “But if only...”, “It’s not my fault, it’s all of them...”, “It’s all because of the authorities, the weather...”. A leader is able to turn even a bad situation into a good one and arrange everything in such a way as to obtain maximum benefit for himself and the team.

Knowledge can be obtained from thematic books. It is best to select training books that are written by practitioners and real opinion leaders.

Those who have difficulty making contacts are required to attend public speaking courses. In addition to theory, a person will be able to gain practical skills and experience communicating with an audience.

Remember, the process of personality formation is long and complex.

How companies manage leadership

It is clear that hiring a strong leader for your company is costly both in terms of resources and time, so many organizations strive to develop their own leaders. This is a great opportunity for the employee too, because with the support of the company, professional growth will be faster - thus, everyone will benefit.

Let me give you an example of leadership management in our company. Here's how we develop MyOffice employees:

1. We identify leaders . First of all, we find among new and current employees those who have an aptitude for leadership and, importantly, want to grow themselves. Sometimes it is enough just to listen to your colleagues and pay attention to the names that they repeatedly pronounce in a positive context, to situations where this or that employee aroused respect when solving a problem or finding a way out of a difficult situation. Most likely, this person will in fact be a leader who is worth developing.
2. We establish communication with colleagues . Another important stage is receiving feedback from employees about their needs, motivation, and wishes. We not only observe, but also use various tools: surveys, interviews with experts, 1-to-1 meetings with managers, and also conduct reviews. And based on feedback, we can see who is ready to help and inspire colleagues, what we would like to develop and what our colleagues are strong at.
3. We create conditions for the development of leadership qualities . At the beginning of 2021, we launched the “Knowledge Hub” - the center for organizing MyOffice training. One of his tasks is to help the company develop specialists. Colleagues from help and organize seminars, strategic sessions and meetings where the team can exchange experiences and learn new things, and knowledge is shared by both internal experts and invited specialists. We have recently begun to develop the practice of working with internal speakers. Anyone can declare themselves, prepare for a performance, and we are ready to provide all possible assistance in this. Colleagues also have the opportunity to mentor new employees and guide them through the difficult onboarding process.
4. We provide the opportunity to receive additional education . For employees who can and want to grow, we develop an individual development plan that includes courses and events aimed at key growth competencies. A mandatory step to start the program is a willingness to learn. Before moving forward, an employee must be internally certified in their knowledge of our processes and products.

As you can see, we cherish and cherish people with leadership potential. If you are interested in development and work in MyOffice, look at our open vacancies - we will be happy to discuss cooperation.

Tip #1: Don't be afraid of not knowing something.

The important thing to remember is to maintain good posture, eye contact, and control your gestures. You should project self-confidence and believe in your ability to take your team from point A to point B. Additionally, you should not be afraid or afraid of situations in which you have to admit your mistakes.

It’s worth imagining a situation where the team leader says “I don’t know,” looks down and gets worried. Such a person is susceptible to the fact that the role of leader will soon pass to someone else, as people will feel uncertainty and fear. Now let’s imagine that the person says: “I don’t know the answer at the moment, but I will look into this question and return to this topic a little later.” Surely this behavior will allow you to maintain your position as a leader. But the feeling of fear of defeat can play a bad joke.

It is important to remember that not knowing something does not make a person a bad leader. In contrast, ineffective leaders refuse to admit when they are wrong.