Are You A Good Leader?

We are all leaders in life. At least we can and should be leaders in our own life. The question here is what characterizes a good leader. The first requirement you need to be able to lead others is to be able to lead yourself. Maybe you do not see yourself as a leader, but there are situations where you lead others. Where two or more people come together there is always someone who takes the initiative and lead. Who the leader is can then vary from situation to situation.

In this video Itay Talgam give some examples of leadership among conductors. Notice how he himself lead the audience, and he does a good job because even I get inspired to go to a concert with classical music when watching this video. It is fascinating to see what good teamwork can accomplish, and to see how the leader can influence the result. What type of a leader are you?

There are a some qualities that characterizes a good leader.

Creates new leaders

A good leader knows that leadership is about something bigger than ones own person, it is about the whole team, it is about the task and it is about the experience of creating together. If the activity is closely related to the leader as a person it will probably break down the day the leader is no more, and every leader will some day be gone. The leader who gives the players space and opportunities to develop knows that among the players there is someone who is ready to take over the day he or she is gone. A good leader creates new leaders.

Lead and listen

A good leader knows when it is time to go first and lead, and when it is time to be lead by listening and being open to new thoughts and ideas. Every player in the team carries their own story, their own experiences and knowledge with them, so a team in a team play, no matter if it is in music, sports, theater or any other area, consists of every individual members experiences and knowledge. A good leader is capable of utilizing all of these experiences and knowledge to get the most out of the team.

Give space for development

A good leader knows that leadership is about giving. As is made clear in the second segment from Itay Talgam a leader has to give freedom for the players to develop if he wants them to cooperate. That means letting go of the control and have confidence in the players. A good leader give space for the players joyment of playing, instead of choking it.

Creates balance

A good leader makes sure that everyone finds their place in the team, or in other words, creates balance in the team. There are players in every team that can handle a free role, where they get to try new things and find new solutions. There are other players who need clear instructions on what to do for them to feel secure in their role.

The former players need freedom to develop, the latter players need guidance to develop. Most of the players are somewhere in between these two types and each one has their own way to develop.

Lead with humility

Maybe the most important characteristic for a good leader is to know that even though you have more knowledge about a certain subject, or greater leadership skill in a certain situation than others, it doesnLt mean you are a better person than them. It just means you have greater ability to do some things or know more about a subject than someone else. In other situations you yourself will be lead by others who know more or have greater skills.


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Tom Sorhannus is exploring and experiencing life with curiosity at ----> Experience and Grow