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What makes a true Leader?

A leader is a person that organizes and directs the affairs of a group of people, and lead them to achieve their goals. Most organizations and groups are lacking true leadership and most people don’t know what really makes a true leader. A true leader is not a dictator, instead he leads with the small letter L (patient, persuasive, exemplar). Every team or organization needs a true leader in other to move their cause forward. Most examples of leadership in the world today practices bad leadership, leaving only a few of them following the right course. What then makes a true Leader? Whether you are leading an organization or a group, what are the qualities and characteristics of a true leader. All these are questions we are going to discover the answers to in the course of reading this article.

A true Leader is an icon

He or she is a symbol of what they are standing for. Other team members look up to the leader for inspiration, motivation, and guidance. Because of this, a leader should be careful with his or her actions; all eyes are on them, watching and waiting to know the next move to take. If your lifestyle is not encouraging, then you would be a failure and would lead wrongly. Because you are an icon, people would trust your words and actions, and if you lead them astray with your bad lifestyle, would you count yourself as a true leader?

A true Leader leads by example

A true leader does not just sit back, assign tasks and duties to team members and watch the results materialize. Instead he or she is the foremost person in the picture showing team members what to do and how things should be done. In other words, a leader leads by example. This is one of the best ways to lead, because the followers would have a sense of acknowledgment that their leader is one of them, knows what they feel, and hereby is in the best position to lead them.

A true Leader leads with love

True leadership is not an act of dictatorship. It is not the mindset that you are at the head and nothing else or no one else matters, or no one has a good contribution to make or suggestion to give you. A leader is not an island, but instead a forest surrounded with trees. He or she leads with love, always taking into consideration the welfare of their people, and seeking their opinions on decisions he or she wants to take on their behalf. They correct with love and encourage everyone to move forward.

A true Leader makes sacrifices

Many people have the wrong idea that a leader is in a position where he or she would always take and take to the detriment of his or her followers. They develop this mindset because most leaders in the world today are corrupt and bad leaders only thinking about themselves and what they can profit from their office, and not how they can secure the welfare of their people. This practice is wrong. A true leader has empathy. He or she cannot sit and watch their followers suffering or see the cause they stand for taking a different turn. True leaders are moved by their empathy to make sacrifices. Their sacrifices are for the better of their followers even if it’s to their personal detriment.

A true Leader is patient and tolerating

As a leader, you will be surrounded by different types of people; those who takes your word and follows your examples and direction, while on another hand, you will also have followers that are always in the habit of opposing or wanting to be thoroughly convinced before they can follow your direction. This attitude is mostly unpleasant and annoying, but as a true leader, you have to develop the ability to be patient and tolerating because of the different kinds of people and situations you would be faced with. There are times that situations won’t be favourable to you, however you cannot abandon your cause, that is why patience and tolerance is much needed.

A true Leader keeps to his or her promises

As a leader, your word is your bound. Your followers don’t take your words lightly. They are eager to see that you keep your words and promises you make to them. Your words motivates and encourages them to do more and follow your leadership, so if you don’t keep to your word, you would be demonstrating weakness and bad leadership.

A true Leader is a risk taker

A true leader does not hide under the canopy of others decisions for fear of not making tough decisions. Instead, he or she is willing to take the risk and make well reasoned decisions and take well calculated steps.

A true Leader has a sense of responsibility to his or her followers and the cause

A true leader does not shift his or her responsibility to others when he or she is able and capable of managing it. They have a sense of responsibility to their followers and the cause they are standing for, so they do all they can to ensure their followers are okay and the cause is moving forward.

In Conclusion

In the world today, there are so few examples of true leadership. Most leaders have been corrupt in one way or the other, hence many don’t know what makes a true leader. This article outlined what makes a true leader as follows-

  • A true leader is an icon
  • A true leader leads by example
  • A true leader leads with love
  • A true leader makes sacrifices
  • A true leader is patient and tolerating
  • A true leader keeps to his or her promises
  • A true leader is a risk taker
  • A true leader has a sense of responsibility to his or her followers and the cause.

I hope this article has been helpful to you. By following this outline, you would take the course of true leadership. Thanks for reading!

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