The down to earth mentality of a true leader !

 Leaders! Some are born, some are made. A good leader is the one who is influential enough to get others to follow him willingly. He has a vision, he has a dream and the passion to pursue it. He has analytical skills, a decision-making ability and a go-getter attitude. He dreams big and has the grit to bring it into reality. He possesses virtues like integrity, dedication, fairness and an open mind to greet new ideas and innovate. 


Are all managers good leaders? This question brings us to the concept of corporate leadership that highlights the role of effective leadership in the growth and success of an organization. Managers need to possess leadership skills like planning, organizing, delegating and effective communication. "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things", says Peter Drucker. But when the line between the two blurs, managers become excellent leaders and leaders become effective managers. Be it a small firm of twenty employees, a multinational company of a thousand professionals or a country of millions, all are organizations. And leadership has a big role to play in directing an organization's resources on the path of progress. For this, leaders have to be created. 


Yes, leaders can be made. How? By inculcating in them, the qualities that a good leader should have. Leadership development should start from an early age. Leadership activities and team games can definitely help in introducing leadership traits to children. Activities like these help the children identify their hidden leadership traits and nurture them. 


Leadership exercises conducted at the corporate level help identify true leaders in the organization and sharpen the managerial skills they have. The future of any organization - a firm, an institute, a company or a nation, is secure only in the hands of able leaders who can influence the masses with their thoughts and actions. Effective leaders are those who have the ability to listen, think, foresee, understand and act. True leaders are those who dare to dream and live to lead.

You don't have to lead crusades or rule countries in order to be a leader. Anyone can be a leader and lead a successful life no matter where they are – whether they are at home, in the office, in the church, in school or even among friends. You can even be a leader as a humble servant!

Here are a few examples of the characteristics of leaders no matter where they are:

(1) A true leader always encourages others and brings out the best in them
Sidney Madwed quotes that the finest gift you can give is encouragement. Yet almost no one gets the encouragement they need to reach their full potential. A true leader will always work to bring out the best in their followers. They are not people who go around barking orders or criticizing their followers in order to pound them into submission. A true leader constantly gives confidence to his or her people so that they can go far beyond their capabilities.

(2) A leader who is at the top always goes down to the bottom
A true leader will always be humble and down to earth as well. They are the type of people who will fight on with the front line of the army. They will not only serve and slog within the trenches with his or her people, they will also lead by example thus showing their people that if he can do it, so can you!

(3) A leader always provides a vision for his or her people

Without vision, the people perish. The same goes for any follower without a vision. Most of the time, followers are like sheep following the shepherd. As the shepherd, your job is to lead them to the greener pastures and protect them from wolves (or in some cases, wolves in shepherd's clothing). They will not allow their followers to fall prey to bad moral values, wrong teaching and things that will lead them to ruin.

(4) A leader never is always focused!
Have you heard that if someone chases two rabbits, they will most probably lose both? Make no mistake about it,  a leader is a person who is focused. They work towards their goals with laser-targeted accuracy and they will always lead their people in the right direction. The worst thing about a bad leader is that they are not clear what they want in life and they will lead their followers down the wrong path. After all, if you don't have a good compass, you would be leading your people into a ditch.