10 Best Tips for Aspiring Leaders

Stunning leaders not only are identified by technical standards, work experience, and leadership competencies but also possess fundamental beliefs, guidelines, and character that encourage and inspire others to want to follow and collaborate with them. In today’s post, we will discuss critical skills and tips for aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs who should help them become successful leaders. 

Extraordinary leadership depends on fundamental qualities and attributes that create a filter for the practices and behaviors observed in these leaders. Essentially, they discuss, they walk, and in an absolute manner, they are the conversation. I have a separate post with 10 smart steps on how to become a leader, it should be interesting if you read that one as well.

I am an advocate of the need for raising the next generation of leaders taking into consideration the challenges that the future holds. With the rapid advance of technologies like A.I. and the Internet of Things, people will lose their jobs, they will become redundant in certain fields of work, that is inevitable, and it is happening already.

These remarkable advances in technology will also bring about a lot of new jobs and opportunities, disruption and continuous innovation will be the key, and to rally the troops to navigate these amazing times we will need more and more capable Leaders.

What is an Aspiring Leader?

An aspiring leader is an individual with the drive and passion to work with people and help people develop. An aspiring leader is a person that starts making a difference in other people around them even without a formal appointment. They constantly learn, and they love to see others grow and learn!

For the next five minutes, I will be sharing with you what I think a good leader is, and the required skills, education, and personal development endeavors that he/she should take to succeed in leading the next generation (in business, personal life, and so on). 

What is being a Good Leader?

Good leadership has to do with who you are and what you represent, as well as what you do. I will instead say that it is the “being” of leadership rather than the “doing” that makes the true leaders.

Being a good leader is more difficult than merely doing good activities and leadership. If you do not have a clear idea of the “being,” then “doing” will not matter.

You can easily recognize the façade or coating that challenges and pressures reveal in the inner core of a person. It is obvious you will have to “be” and “do” to attain the best performance with the team.  These two dimensions of leadership are inseparable. Actions and intentions are intensifying each other.

For example, trust entails delegating and empowering others, which enhances commitment to the principle of trust. In short, to do (delegate) without “being” (trust) is something artificial and superficial. On the contrary, “being” without “doing” is completely ineffective. However, “being” without “working” is self-deception.

Believing that you are a good leader simply because you have strong beliefs is completely empty and false. The importance of being “be” is more important only because it is the place from which authentic actions originate.

Being a successful leader has a lot to do with what difference you have made in people’s lives and how your actions, words, or even silence inspired them to do better and become a better version of themselves.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TIPS FOR ASPIRING LEADERS

We have compiled a list of 10 critical advice for future leaders, please go through them, and hopefully you will get inspired to start strong on your journey to becoming a great leader in the future.

1.      Improving your public speaking skills

Mastering public speaking skills can take you to higher heights in life. Being an effective communicator is expected and necessary for you to lead and inspire others. Therefore, do your very best to learn the art of public speaking, and practice as much as you possibly can.

We have many examples in history of great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Churchill, Luther King, Steve Jobs, and many more. These individuals achieved a lot in their lifetimes, but people also remember their speeches. As a leader, you are expected to be confident and inspire others through your vision translated into powerful and inspiring words. 

2.      Working Under Great Leaders & Lousy Ones

I have learned a lot from working for multiple great bosses over the years. A few examples are: being a good listener, speaker, always willing to protect your team, to support them even at your own cost, and to coach them and instill in them the ability to believe in themselves and their future.

I had lousy ones too, who also could inspire others. Unfortunately, it was in the wrong way. You’d be inspired to quit your job, to work less and waste time, to feel like not going to work in the morning, and to really wish you could punch them in the face.

Micromanaging, leaving your team to die when things get tough and throw them under the bus, never admitting your mistakes or your teams’, shouting all the time and being rude to others just because you’re the boss is the complete opposite of what a great leader should be like. 

3.      Leading Small Teams

Leading small teams can give you a glimpse of what it looks like to deal with people. It is one of the most required skills of a leader in virtually any age, as people are always responsible for making things happen.

Being able to deal with conflicts within the team and making them work well with one another, giving them a purpose and common goals, and guiding or coaching them to reach all the expected results is part and parcel of being a good leader. 

4.      Getting to know yourself and decide on Your Leadership Style

A leader is someone who guides and influences other people; a great one is someone who knows him or herself, has learned from the many lessons in life, and business/career, and is now ready to help others grow and become leaders themselves one day. How does he/she go about doing that? By having a specific leadership style that matches with his/her personality, values, and experience. 

5.      Coaching Others

Take some time to give back by coaching other aspiring leaders, those who will be taking up the mantle and leading the reins of your business, team, followers, or one of your followers themselves, who wish to pursue a career of leadership and management, or perhaps wants also to lead the community, group, or team that you have been leading.

This will allow you to improve yourself and maybe learn a few things that surprisingly your student is now going through, but you have never faced before.  

6.      Ascertain the Image of who you want to be:

Reaffirm it to yourself in quiet moments. Feed upon it! We develop just like the things that we inwardly cherish, and those matters, the mind deeply harbors.

The biblical adage says it even strongly: “Just like people think, so they are.”

When you have proved, through following these simple steps ultimately you can be a master of yourself, and prove that you could be a masterful chief of others.

To be a leader, you must realize and grow the following skills:

7.      Self-Reliance:

Your God-given powers are fettered until you dare to attempt to increase that self-reliance. How can you acquire self-reliance? What are you able to do to increase that strong self-respect that makes every day of life and journey as opposed to a tour into fear? The initial task is to develop self-reliance or have a strong belief in yourself.

8.      Uniqueness:

It is a remarkable truth that of all of the billions of human beings in this world, there are not any of them alike. Therefore you’re particular, and because you are particular, you’ve got a contribution and an opportunity to give the arena something that no one else can supply.

You are special and your experiences in everyday life are completely yours, you have to believe in yourself. You have a completely unique position and lifestyle. You have the destiny to reap.

9.      Discover your Strong Points:

Certainly, you cannot do the whole lot or recognize the whole lot, but every one of us can do one, two or many greater matters nicely. Perhaps higher than anybody in the world can do. Therefore you need to know the area of your talents or your skills excessive inside the scheme of things.

You should study even greater about them. It would help if you expanded them so thoroughly that you may be preeminent in them. For as you broaden these sturdy factors more, you develop in stature in your own mind and inside the minds of others.

10.       GET INSPIRED BY LEGENDS:

A similar step in developing self-leadership or self-reliance is to study the biographies of amazing personalities in the leadership realm.

From every analyzing, the excellent truth will emerge – That the men whom history facts are incredible were not heroes, but humans very similar to you, who were conscious in their own imperfections, regularly baffled by using circumstance, regularly thwarted by means of “unfortunate” happenings.

However, they had been human beings of the cause — not even their own weaknesses avoided them from following their dominating purpose, their chosen and planned way, to reach their intention.

Most of them had greater than their share of misfortune and frustration, and they had guts they persevered and lived on. If you may study such biographies, it will be a lot less difficult to trust in yourself and your capability to do equally heroic matters.

BONUS TIPS: RECOMMENDED EDUCATION

If you are a manager in any tier, you can benefit from management ability training – however, if schooling suits your wishes and a professional degree, you should further your education to become a better leader. Many often think it is unreasonable to go for leadership training designed for newly promoted undertaking managers if you’re already the leading government official. These type of people believe more in degrees and online courses.

Before searching for exceptional management courses, think about the unique management abilities you want to increase. Take for instance, are you willing to enhance your capabilities to inspire your group? To solve conflicts? Or are you seeking out education on commercial enterprise leadership? Are you willing to improve administrative competencies in order to do your current task extra effectively, or as a way to tackle a higher position?

So, how do you pick out the proper leadership education? You pick out a program that best suits your field; you can choose any of these programs to develop your leadership skills.

LEADERSHIP DEGREE:

Some out of the many degrees that are recommended for leaders and prospective leaders are listed below:

A. MBA: Master of Business Administration is a graduate degree that gives students sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical training channeled to help them gain insights into general business management functions. People that have obtained this degree are often found in top management positions. This is because MBA courses teach the fundamental technical skills business leaders need.

MBA degree holders are being built to be critical thinkers and smart decision-makers. Obtaining an MBA will give you an insight into business finance, organizational theory, planning, and so many other technical skills.

B. MBL: Masters of Business Leadership provides you with professional management development skills at the graduate level, with a special interest in the theory and the practice of leadership. This degree is precisely for people who want to be in leadership positions. MBL courses imbibe you with the dos and don’ts of a leader.

ONLINE COURSES:

Some out of the many online courses that are recommended for leaders and prospective leaders are listed below:

A. Leading People and Teams Specialization: This online course gives you sufficient knowledge to lead effectively and learn proven management techniques in just four courses. It is offered by the University of Michigan and takes approximately five months to complete. Visit www.coursera.org/specializations/leading-teams

B. Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization: This online course gives you sufficient knowledge on leadership and business skill, and aims at making you an effective organizational leader. It is offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and takes approximately eight months to complete. Visit www.coursera.org/specializations/strategic-leadership

C. Inspirational Leadership: Leading with Sense Specialization: This online course aims at shaping your life to become a leader, manager, or colleague in three courses. The specialization helps you switch from a top-down leadership, with the emphasis on authority, to an open leadership based on sense and trust. It is offered by HEC Paris and takes approximately five months to complete. Visit www.coursera.org/specializations/inspirational-leadership

COACHING/MENTORING:

If you do not want to go through the stress of obtaining a degree or taking online courses, then you can consider having a leadership coach/mentor. Some out of the many platforms to hire a leadership coach that are recommended for you are listed below:

A. Themuse: This platform has many leadership coaches that have enough experience and expertise to make you become a manager, establish yourself as a leader, and in general, excel in any organization. Visit www.themuse.com/coaching/leadership-coaching

B. ICF: This organization boasts of considerable amounts of credentialed coaches that have met stringent education and experience requirements. Visit www.coachfederation.org/find-a-coach

C. Life Coach Hub: This is another platform that brings a large number of competent leadership coaches together for you to choose the best for you. The coaches are available to empower you to excel in your leadership roles, and they are always available at your disposal. Visit www.lifecoachhub.com/leadership-coach

CONCLUSION

The tips listed in this post, as well as the skills we recommend every aspiring leader to develop, can serve you well both as an entrepreneur as well as a professional working a normal 9 to 5 job; every entrepreneur/professional who grows their business will one day have to lead others.

If you are currently working under a good leader, and he/she notices your self-reliance and self-assurance they will want to put you to a higher use. They will want to make you a leader, rather than one the followers.

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

https://www.robertwalters-usa.com/career-advice/how-to-develop-leadership-skills.html

https://www.academiccourses.com/Courses/Leadership/

https://www.academiccourses.com/Courses/Leadership/

How to Develop Leadership Qualities: Advice from Bodybuilding Legend Joe Weider