True Leadership: What Separates a Leader from a Boss

Leadership is never meant to be easy. But if you understand what leadership means, you’re one great step closer to becoming a successful leader.

Leadership is the art of enabling others to work toward the same goal together.

There is not a single definition of leadership and it varies depending on the type of leader — the CEO of a company, the captain of a sports team, a religious leader, a political leader, etc. However, when we talk about leadership in general, according to leadership expert James McGregor Burns, leadership is a process in which “leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation”.^[1]

A leader creates visions and motivates team members to work together towards the same goal.

With a good leader, people are motivated to grow and will perform their best to reach the goal.

A leader is the charismatic head of a group of people, who possesses the skills to lead, inspire and influence the others to pursue their personal growth and the team’s goals. Leaders are important as they have a great impact on a team’s performance. Good leaders will maximize the team’s productivity, shape positive cultures and promote harmony and open communication within the team.^[2]

A great leader is the source of inspiration and motivation for the team.

A good leader works together with the team when facing difficulties,^[3] while at the same time giving them great freedom with how they complete tasks. This fosters creativity and eventually benefits the team as a whole. They also ensure a friendly working environment for each member to make contributions, and compliment and encourage the team from time to time.

A great leader promotes values by setting examples.

A great leader is the role model for their team. They set standards that they themselves follow consistently through their own behaviors, such as punctuality, honesty and integrity, etc., which are beneficial to the success of the team.

All successful leaders share the same traits, no matter what kind.

If you want to become a better leader, learn about the following traits that all successful leaders share.

1. Visionary

Vision is the ability to foresee the future and set goals for the team to achieve. A leader helps the team to start and continue working toward the right direction, doing the right thing at the right time. Without visions, a leader might make confusing and misleading plans for the team, which would eventually harm the results of the team.

2. Committed

Commitment to the role of a leader means leading by example. If you are a team member, would you be willing to follow a leader who acts differently than the rules they set for you? Very unlikely. A leader must have high standards for themselves and act consistently, so that the team members will respect their leadership.

3. Curious

A leader must be knowledgeable about what they work on in order to help solve any problems that arise. They should always be curious and never stop learning. They should also know the team members well enough to act for their own good. Without knowledge and a strong curiosity, one is unlikely to be able to lead the team to solve problems. Team members are also very likely to challenge the authority of the leader.

4. Confident

Confidence is to be self-assured without being aggressive. A leader needs to be assertive at times to show their authority and confidence, so the team members are convinced to follow their orders and plans. A leader also represents a team with its benefits and concerns. For instance, in a company with complex organization, the leader represents the rights of their team members and that is when confidence is required.

5. Morally good

Integrity is a must for a respectable leader. A leader without integrity, who says one thing and does another, can hardly convince team members to respect them. Without respect, a leader won’t be able to persuade the team to do anything for the company and leads to inefficiency in the team.

6. Trusting

A leader should trust the team members’ abilities. Walking around every 30 minutes to check on the team’s progress, or challenging them for everything they do will not build trust in the team. Give team members a little faith and space to do their jobs, no one wants a pushy paranoid leader.

7. Decisive

Decisiveness is essential to every business and company. As a team, we will have to make hard decisions within a short period under a high-pressure environment. That is when a leader should assume their role, and utilize their knowledge and perhaps the opinion of the members to decide before it is too late.

8. Positive

Optimism is a crucial part of leadership. There will be times when the team has low morale or feels lost in the middle of a project. A positive leader finds the positives in the midst of the negatives and encourages the team members to keep moving forward. A pessimistic leader at work can hardly believe anything good will happen in the end.

9. Humble

A humble leader keeps track of their own performance, decisions and accomplishments and reflects constantly if there’s anything they can do better. By having self-reflection everyday, a leader can understand more about what they’re good and bad at, and can improve themselves accordingly.

It is not easy to acquire all these characteristics in a short period of time, but you can learn and practice more to become a better leader.

To become a good leader, try to start by following the leaders you look up to.

There is always something that we can learn from successful leaders. Following the one you look up to is exactly the way for you to kick start your journey to being a good leader.^[4]

Pick out 5 of your favorite leaders and ask yourself why you like them. Is it because of their speaking skills, their attitude to work, their confidence or the way they can make everyone listen? Start by learning what you think are the necessary characteristics and skills that a great leader possesses, and put it into practice in your daily life leading positions.

Remember, you can learn not only from their success but also their mistakes! Look at Henry Ford. Ford Motor Company may be a success today, but Ford did not build it without first failing hard. It was through paying attention to his every tiny mistake and working out the underlying problem that led him to his eventual success.^[5]

To be able to teach others, learn something new about your expertise every day.

Although it might sound cheesy, it is always right to “stay foolish, stay hungry”.

Learn a new thing about your expertise, job or market every day to better equip yourself as a great leader. Never stop learning. Do not forget to make records of what you have learned simply jotting down notes in a notebook or in an note-keeping app, because one day your team members will need your advice, and your knowledge has to be accumulated.

Always ask for feedback, an active leader never waits.

One of the traits some successful leaders possess is that they are always looking to improve. Instead of waiting for the team members to give you feedback, actively ask them for feedback.^[6] Stay open to criticism because everyone has their blind spot, and having honest team members sharing their feedback is valuable for a leader’s growth.

Are you ready to become a leader? Stop wasting time and kick start your journey now by learning from the leaders you admire. Remember, mistakes might happen along the way and that is completely normal. Believe in yourself and do not be afraid to make mistakes.