A project has brought enormous success and got recognition, and the project leader is praised by everyone and recognized and rewarded as a true leader. We also look at them as an example and try to follow their path. But is it only the success ratio that determines a true leader? No, the trend is changing. People’s thought process is changing. True leadership qualities are not always required to bring success by any hook or crook but to bring success not only for the organization but also for each teammate who is working with him.
Let us discuss this in detail. A true leader is the one who knows all his team members very well, their potential, their drawbacks, and knows how to bring them up and put them on the path of success. They should not be acting as a dictator and going with the old ideology where leaders are put into an equal position of a military commander who works with only two strategies – reward and punishment. We need to keep in mind that the situation in any military organization is much different from the companies we are working with as the employee structure. The goal of their work is different from what we have. Their men get killed and have to be replaced, which is not the case for us.
We, as a leader, need to work, influence, know the goal of each of our team members and work in such a way that all their goals collaborate and effectively work towards achieving the group’s purpose. The most crucial stand that a leader needs to take is to build a relationship with each of his team members. They should know the interest and potential of each of the team members very well. They need to gain the confidence of their team members so that they turn to them whenever they face any problematic situation.
Remember one thing. You don’t have to be too friendly to attain all these as then you might face problems in projecting yourself as the leader of the group. They might think that why should they take your orders as they fail to recognize you as their leader. So, draw a line always, which will ensure that they will be open to and ready to accept you as their leader.
The attitude of the leader towards their subordinate is also essential. How you deal with them decides whether they are happy to follow your orders or follow them out of compulsion or fear. Sometimes, some organizations allow their workers to participate in decision-making and think this way they can motivate them. But be very sure to know which decisions are for superiors to take and which decisions can be taken by the workers. Otherwise, it can bring a lot of complexities instead of solving them.
So, bring your team members’ motivation, interest, and enthusiasm and establish yourself as a true leader.